Rewriting the Past
by NonyMouse
Summary: It's a week before Regulus and Snape are to receive the Dark Mark when they, along with James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans, and Albus Dumbledore are sent books from the future so that they can change their fates and build a better future.
1. Chapter 1

Regulus Black was not a happy boy. He spent his every moment, it seemed, trying to please his parents and gain just a little bit of their attention. No matter what he did, the only child they ever cared about was Sirius, the White Sheep of the Black family who never ceased causing his family grief and anger. No matter what he accomplished, his idiot golden-boy brother always managed to overshadow it by doing something to piss of their mum, who would proceed to completely forget that she had another son in her rage against her eldest. This time, however, Sirius was not going to outshine him.

Regulus had spent his first semester back at Hogwarts for his sixth year talking to a certain set of seventh year Slytherins, namely those who were believed to have already joined the Death Eaters. Even in Slytherin they were never foolish enough to outright admit to the tattoos on their arms, but Regulus's name held a lot of weight among families who believed in pure-blood dominance; it had not taken long for them to trust him enough to help him in his plan. Over Christmas holiday, Regulus would be inducted into the Death Eaters.

Now that the evening of the last Friday before the Christmas holidays had finally come, Regulus found that he could not stop the little tremors of fear that ran through his body at the thought of the irreversible move he was about to make. He had put off his packing until the very last moment, and all of his possessions and clothing were still strewn about the floor. As he reluctantly began packing, Regulus tried to avoid thinking about what had caused him to procrastinate in the first place, as he had tried to avoid thinking about it ever since the plans had been made.

_Stop being weak,_ he raged at himself without any real feeling. _You have to do this. This will finally show mum that you're not weak like Sirius, that you're strong and _you _care about family and honor and tradition, even if he doesn't._ In spite of his arguments to himself, the prospect of joining the Death Eaters left Regulus with a disturbingly queasy feeling that he could not shake.

Regulus's only consolation, aside from the knowledge that his parents would finally have to take of note of him, would finally really have to see him and be proud instead of merely indifferent, was that he had managed to talk his friend Severus Snape into joining with him. Severus would be spending the Christmas holiday at 12 Grimmauld Place with Regulus, and exactly one week in the two Hogwarts students would stand together and take the mark of servitude to the man who currently terrorized the wizarding world.

Regulus shuddered again at this thought and returned to the packing he had abandoned when his thoughts got the better of him. _It's not servitude,_ he told himself angrily, throwing books into his trunk. _It's an honorable choice, and it will make mum proud to have a Death Eater in the family. Besides, Severus is doing it too, and he's nobody's servant. Doing this is the best choice I can make._ As he tossed a few spare robes into his trunk, Regulus wished that he actually believed his thoughts.

With a groan, the dark haired boy abandoned his packing for a bit and flopped backwards onto his bed. The other two sixth year Slytherin boys who had been in the dorm the whole time glanced over at Regulus, and he sent them a false grin. "It'll be nice to be back home where there are House Elves to do things like packing," he said in the general direction of his dorm mates, ignoring the generic responses he received. It would never do to let people know that he was _scared_ of joining the Dark Lord. He was, after all, Regulus Black, proud pure blood from a proud family. Joining the Dark Lord in his quest to rid the world of filth should have been, no was, his greatest ambition.

"I'm going for a walk," he announced suddenly to the room at large.

His roommates ignored his outburst, and Regulus exited the room. Once out of his dorm and in the common room, strangely empty this close to break, he allowed a little bit of his emotions to appear on his face. _It _will_ be okay,_ he told himself, hating how even as he thought it, he could feel the lie. This decision would change his life for good. There was no going back once one decided to join the Dark Lord's ranks.

Regulus exited the common room deep in thought over his upcoming holiday activities and so failed to see the tiny creature in front of him until he nearly tripped over it.

"Master Regulus sir! Kreacher has been sent sir to be telling you something important."

The squeaky voice, as Regulus discovered to his shock upon looking down, came from none other than his favorite House Elf, Kreacher. The tiny House Elf looked different than usual, but Regulus was surprised enough to see him at all that he pushed his questions about the elf's appearance to the back of his mind.

"What are you doing here Kreacher?" Regulus asked, as a disturbing thought hit him. Had the Dark Lord changed the time of his induction into the Death Eaters? Was he going to be given the mark even sooner than he had thought? Regulus's knees nearly gave way at the thought.

However, the tiny elf in front of him was still speaking and had as yet said nothing about the mark or the Dark Lord, or even his mother. "Master be sending Kreacher to give Master Regulus important information. You is to be coming with Kreacher." Regulus frowned at the mention of his father. The man rarely took note of anyone in the family; his overbearing wife so often took charge of everything that Regulus could hardly recall a time when his father had asked anything of or about him. Still, he reasoned, House Elves could not be impersonated, as their magic was too different from wizard magic, and Kreacher would never lead Regulus to harm, so it could hardly be some sort of trick or trap.

"Alright then, Kreacher," he said absently, still lost in thought. "Where is it that we are going, anyway?"

Kreacher bounded off down the corridor without answering, and after a surprised moment at this lack of answer, Regulus followed.

After a walk through what felt like half the castle, Kreacher stopped before what appeared to be a blank wall in a dead-end corridor on the seventh floor. Regulus raised his eyebrow at the elf, who had begun pacing, and was about to voice a question when Kreacher looked up at him and beamed. "You be waiting here, Master Regulus," he squeaked, indicating the wall, which to the Slytherin's shock had become a door. Reminding himself again that Kreacher could not be impersonated and would not harm him, Regulus opened the door, finding a comfortable looking room beyond, full of squashy armchairs, couches, and poufs. Kreacher shooed him in, and he stepped through the door. As soon as he had done so, Kreacher spoke again.

"You be waiting her and Kreacher be getting everyone else," Kreacher said with another of his delighted grins. Before Regulus could say a word, the door had closed and Kreacher was gone.

Regulus rushed to the door and tugged with all him might on the door handle, but the door would not budge, not even when he tried a multitude of spells both light and dark. _Just because he wouldn't knowingly lead you into a trap doesn't mean this isn't one,_ Regulus told himself. His knees were shaking and all he desperately wished he hadn't left his dormitory. In fact Regulus wished that he had never talked to any of the Dark Lord's Hogwarts supporters, and had been content to simply hide in shadows. He was certain that this was some ploy by either the Dark Lord himself or, more likely, a few of his Death Eaters. Since he could not return to his dormitory, and he could never take back the promise he had made to join the Death Eaters, Regulus settled for taking his wand out and examining the room he was trapped in.

It was a nice enough room. As he had first noticed, there were plenty of comfortable looking chairs, couches, and poufs in the room. Now he scanned the room more carefully, taking in every detail. The walls were made of smooth grey stone, and the room was not terribly large. All the seating had been arranged in a semi-circle around a merrily crackling fire. Other than those details, the room appeared bare and innocent. Regulus was still suspicious, however, and remained standing in the middle of the room until the opening of the door startled him out of his contemplations.

As soon as the door opened, he rushed towards it, colliding with the boy who had just entered.

Severus Snape stumbled as Regulus hit him, but caught himself before he could fall. Regulus was not so lucky. He stared up at Snape from the floor where he had fallen, then quickly scrambled up before speaking.

"Have we been summoned early?" Regulus questioned, his nerves fraying to nothing at the thought of being confronted with the Dark Lord a week early, completely unprepared and with all his doubts fresh in his mind. Death would almost be preferable to an unexpected meeting with the Dark Lord.

Severus glanced at him in confusion after he had completed a cursory scan of the room they were in. "I don't think so. Your House Elf came to fetch me and said that you needed to talk." His voice became more suspicious as he spoke. "I had assumed that meant that you knew why we are in this room, and what we are to talk about."

Kreacher chose that moment to pipe up, and Regulus realized that the little elf had not run off again. "Kreacher is being very sorry, Master Regulus." His squeaky elf voice rose to a higher pitch than usual as he spoke, as though the poor elf was terrified he would be punished for his actions. "Kreacher is still needing to gather some people, and then Kreacher be telling you all why you is here." The elf gazed up at Regulus, obviously hoping for approval before he left to gather whatever other people he had to gather.

After a moment of contemplation, Regulus nodded at the elf, who immediately scampered off on his mission.

Nearly half an hour later, the room had been filled, much to the surprise and displeasure of both Regulus and Severus, with James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, and Lily Evans. Regulus noticed an odd look of what could only be pain pass over Severus's face when Evans entered the room, and wondered, as he had in the past, what had transpired to first inspire and then destroy a friendship between the two very different people.

All of the new additions were just as confused as the two Slytherins as to why a House Elf had gathered them in this room that not even Albus Dumbledore had known existed. If not for the presence of the Headmaster, Regulus had no doubt that a fight would have broken out. As it was, even with Dumbledore in the room, several of the Gryffindors had their hands in their pockets, no doubt ready to start casting curses at a moment's notice. Not one of the people in the room, aside from Albus, had taken a seat in any of the comfortable seating options in the room. Instead, they were all standing, the Gryffindors and Slytherins on opposite sides of the room. Lily had appeared torn for a brief moment upon entering the room, twitching as though instinctively towards the Slytherin side, but ultimately she too ended up on the Gryffindor side of the room. Dumbledore merely sat and observed what was occurring, refusing to say anything.

After the last person had entered the room (signaled by Kreacher failing to lock them in and rush off again), Regulus addressed Kreacher, his voice cold due to the stress of sharing a room with the brother he hated and his brother's friends who tormented Sev even more than they tormented Regulus.

"All right Kreacher, I'm assuming everyone is here, since you haven't run off again. So, why is it that you felt the need to come to Hogwarts and gather us all together?" Sirius glared at his brother, certain that this must be some sort of horrible plot cooked up by his mother and his younger brother, who had always been their dear mummy's favorite. He had been consulting with the other marauders, who all had been convinced somehow by Kreacher to come to the room, only to find themselves locked in with two Slytherins, their Headmaster, and Lily Evans, James's long time crush who had finally begun warming up to him the semester before.

Now, Sirius spoke. "Yes, Kreacher, why don't you tell us why we're here? I'd really love to know." He was still glaring coldly at his brother as he spoke, but Regulus, his attention fully on the elf, failed to notice. Albus and Lily remained silent during the exchange. In spite of the fact that Lily had ultimately gone to James's side after entering the room, she was opposed to the idea that there was some sort of horrible plot afoot. She still recalled her old friendship with Severus, and a small part of her held onto the belief that he would not hurt her, in spite of the fact that he had once called her a mudblood, and he had obviously been getting even deeper into bad groups.

Kreacher noticed the tension and spoke quickly. "Kreacher be gathering you all here for you to be changing the future!" The room had very mixed reactions to that, from shouts of "Impossible!" to outright laughter, and Kreacher continued before anyone could start another conversation. "Kreacher is being sent back in time by Master Harry. The Room of Requirement is being elf-made and Mistress Hermione is showing Kreacher how to use the room magic to be coming back to change things. Kreacher is being told to gather you. Kreacher is wanting to help so that Master Regulus be living and the future be happy for Master Harry." Regulus was pretty sure he was the only who caught the first bit of that sentence, though a glance at his brother showed a surprisingly concerned looking Sirius looking at him. As soon as their eyes met, Sirius dropped his gaze, and they both returned their attention to Kreacher's words. "Kreacher is having books from Master Potter for his most important years and Master Harry be saying that Kreacher is not allowed to be telling anyone anything they will be learning in the books."

There were shocked murmurs at this that threatened to turn into more shouting, but Professor Dumbledore broke in before it could escalate too far. "Kreacher has already proven to me that he speaks the truth. I believe what he says."

The words had a profound effect on the mood in room. Several of the occupants were much more likely to believe the elf now that he had Dumbledore's vote of confidence, but Sirius Black had merely turned his glare upon the Headmaster. "Surely you aren't thinking of believing him, Headmaster?" The grey-eyed Gryffindor asked, looking for a moment very much like a member of the ancient and very dark house of Black. Seeing the elf brought back all the memories of home that he had hoped to avoid until summer, and Sirius Black was angry.

Before any of his friends could speak up to defend him, or his enemies could speak up to argue, Dumbledore spoke again. "I have spoken to Kreacher privately before we arrived in this room, Mr. Black, and I can assure you that what he says is true. This elf has indeed come from the future, and I believe we would do well to listen to his story." Dumbledore's tone was soft, yet clearly brooked no arguments. "Now, Kreacher," he continued, "you mentioned some books that we are to read?"

Kreacher snapped his fingers, and a thick book fell out of the air into his hands. "Kreacher be turning Master Harry's memories into books but Kreacher be only able to be using memories from a little bit before Kreacher be meeting Master Harry. Master Harry says that you be learning all you need from that though so it's being okay to start in the middle." Regulus was fairly sure that he was the only one who could detect the note of pain in the elf's squeaky voice that said he felt as though he had failed this 'Master Harry' by only being able to bring back part of the man's story. He spoke up before anyone else could say anything, giving Kreacher a comforting look as he did so.

"I'm sure you did your best, and Harry greatly appreciates it, Kreacher," he said warmly. Kreacher beamed him happily, his mood obviously improved by Regulus's words.

While Regulus spoke, Dumbledore took the book from Kreacher. A hush fell over the room. This book apparently held the knowledge of their future selves, and everyone in the room was anxious to hear what it contained, no matter their personal beliefs towards the others in the room. When Albus next spoke, it was to a room filled with the quite of a half dozen people holding their breath in anticipation.

"When I spoke to Kreacher after he summoned me here," there was a snort from one of the marauders, most likely at the thought of Dumbledore being summoned anywhere, but it was quickly cut off as the man in question continued speaking, "he gave me a bit of back-story to the books we are supposed to read. These books concern Harry Potter and the downfall of Voldemort." There were several shivers at the name Voldemort, but James had perked up at the name Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter, as some of you may have guessed already, is the son of James Potter." Regulus didn't miss the sneer that crossed Severus's face at the mention of Potter having a son. Regulus didn't blame his friend either; Potter was an arrogant git, and the thought of reading a book by his son, who was sure to take after his father, was not the most pleasant one in the world. "Harry Potter is also," the Headmaster continued, "the son of Lily Evans Potter."

There were gasps throughout the room, before Potter's whoop of joy drowned out everyone else. "Yes! Lily-flower is my wife!" He stared dreamily at the girl in question, who looked merely shocked and rather uncertain of how she should feel. Severus, on the other hand, had a look of great pain on his face, and once again Regulus wondered how close his friend and the muggle born Gryffindor had been. Surely his friend shouldn't be this put out at the thought of the girl marrying his arch nemesis, even if the two had once been close. His musings and the commotion in the room were both cut short, however, as Dumbledore raised his voice to speak over them all.

"As I was saying, Harry Potter is the son of Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans. He lived with his aunt and uncle on his mother's side after his parents were killed by Voldemort. We will begin reading at the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts."

These final pronouncements were met by cries of shock and horror at the announcement of Potter's and Evan's deaths and shock on Evan's and, surprisingly, Severus's, part that Harry would live with Evan's sister who was apparently quite horrid. Again, Dumbledore overrode all the arguing with the power of his voice.

"I've no doubt that all of our questions shall be answered, within the books we are about to read," the great wizard stated. "So, if no one has any objections, I believe I shall start."

With that, Albus opened the book that Kreacher had given him and read, **Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix****, Chapter One: Dudley Demented.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Dudley Demented**

**The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay parched and yellowing; the use of hosepipes had been banned due to drought. Deprived of their usual car-washing and lawn-mowing pursuits, the inhabitants of Privet Drive had retreated into the shade of their cool houses, windows thrown wide in the hope of tempting in a nonexistent breeze. The only person left outdoors was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four.**

So far Regulus was finding this book to be rather dull, and from the look of the sneer on Sev's face, he wasn't impressed either.

Of course, the look could also have been due to the fact that the seventh year Slytherin had to listen to a book about the child of his one time friend and arch enemy, but as far as Regulus was concerned, that just made the dull introduction even more annoying.

**He was a skinny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who had the pinched, slightly unhealthy look of someone who has grown a lot in a short space of time.**

"He sounds like James during fifth year." Sirius smirked at his best mate, who glared at him.

"I didn't look unhealthy," said best friend replied in his best "I'm-ignoring-you" voice. "Now shut up and let the Headmaster professor sir continue."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the exchange, and he continued to read.

**His jeans were torn and dirty, his T-shirt baggy and faded, and the soles of his trainers were peeling away from the uppers. Harry Potter's appearance did not endear him to the neighbors, who were the sort of people who thought scruffiness ought to be punishable by law, but as he had hidden himself behind a large hydrangea bush this evening he was quite invisible to passers-by. In fact, the only way he would be spotted was if his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia stuck their heads out of the living-room window and looked straight down into the flowerbed below.**

Regulus had the feeling that everyone in the room was equally curious as to what Harry was doing hiding in the bushes, but luckily everyone was curious to remain silent, realizing that they would probably get their answer more quickly that way.

**On the whole, Harry thought he was to be congratulated on his idea of hiding here.** **He was not, perhaps, very comfortable lying on the hot hard earth but, on the other hand, nobody was glaring at him, grinding their teeth so loudly that he could not hear the news, or shooting nasty questions at him, as had happened every time he had tried sitting down in the living room to watch television **

"What's a telavishun?" Potter had turned to Lupin with the question, but, to Regulus's surprise, it was Sirius who answered.

"It's a sort of box that muggles use to watch things on. People can record themselves doing something and other people watch it in the television."

Evans stared at him in surprise, her mouth open. "Where did you learn about muggle things, Black? Isn't your family pure blood?"

Sirius laughed. "I took muggle studies and paid attention to annoy my dear old mum," he explained.

Evans shook her head, obviously not understanding, but everyone let the matter drop to listen to the story.

**with his aunt and uncle.**

**Almost as though this thought had fluttered through the open window, Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle, suddenly spoke.**

**"Glad to see the boy's stopped trying to butt in. Where is he, anyway?"**

**"I don't know," said Aunt Petunia, unconcerned. "Not in the house."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted.**

**"Watching the news…" he said scathingly. "I'd like to know what he's really up to. As if a normal boy cares what's on the news- Dudley hasn't got a clue what's going on; doubt he knows who the Prime Minister is!** **Anyway, it's not as if there'd be anything about his lot on our news-"**

"Stupid Tuny," a voice piped up. Regulus was surprised to realize it was Evans.

Sirius responded with sarcasm, of course. "Oh, but didn't you know, Evans? All the good kids are idiots who haven't a clue what's going on in the world."

Potter laughed, but Severus replied in a scathing voice, "And do you fall into this category yourself, Black?" Before Sirius or any of the other marauders could reply, Dumbledore broke in and stopped the argument threatening to occur.

"If you wish to argue, you may leave the room to do so," the older wizard said in a firm voice. Not wanting to be kicked out, everyone shut up after the threat.

**"Vernon, shh!" said Aunt Petunia. "The window's open!"**

**"Oh- yes- sorry dear."**

"Ugh," Evans broke in again. "She's probably worried about someone hearing and someone inferring that she's vaguely connected to magic in some way."

Regulus was surprised at the venom in her voice. He'd never imagined perfect Prefect and Head Girl Lily Evans having a sister who was afraid to be associated with magic. It was something to think on as he listened to the story.

**The Dursleys fell silent. Harry listened to a jingle about Fruit 'n' Bran breakfast cereal while he watched Mrs. Figg, a batty cat-loving lady from nearby Wisteria Walk, amble slowly past. She was frowning and muttering to herself.** **Harry was very pleased he was concealed behind the bush, as Mrs. Figg had recently taken to asking him around for tea whenever she met him in the street.** **She had rounded the corner and vanished from view before Uncle Vernon's voice floated out of the window again.**

**"Dudders out for tea?"**

**"At the Polkisses'," said Aunt Petunia fondly. "He's got so many little friends, he's so popular."**

**Harry suppressed a snort with difficulty.** **The Dursleys really were astonishingly stupid about their son, Dudley. They had swallowed all his dim-witted lies about having tea with a different member of his gang every night of the summer holidays. Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley had not been to tea anywhere; he and his gang spent every evening vandalizing the play park, smoking on street corners, and throwing stones at passing cars and children.** **Harry had seen them at it during his evening walks around Little Whinging; he had spent most of the holidays wandering the streets, scavenging newspapers from bins along the way.**

"No offense Lily," Potter broke in, "but your sister and her family are sounding more and more awful with every sentence. Why the hell would our kid go to them if we're dead?"

Lily took a moment to answer, and when she did, she sounded uncertain. "I don't know," she said, looking at the Headmaster rather than Potter. "I would have thought we'd have named godparents, probably one of your friends and one of mine."

At the mention of godparents, Potter turned to Sirius, remarking, "That's a good point. Where the hell are you, mate?"

Sirius looked just as confused as Lily. "I dunno, Prongs." He shrugged. "No one seems to be there except Evans's moronic relatives. Where am I, Remus and Peter?"

Regulus noticed that Sirius didn't react to the obvious implication that he would be named Potter Jr.'s godfather, and he wondered if the bond between his brother and this other rash, cruel Gryffindor idiot was truly so strong that Sirius had of course expected to be godfather, and Potter of course knew that Sirius would be godfather well before he ever even expected to have children. The two had to have a strong bond, given that Sirius had run away to Potter's place over the summer (causing lots of grief to their mother in the process), and this was just more evidence of the fact.

"Remus, Peter, and I, Sirius," Evans said, frowning at Sirius. Regulus snorted quietly to himself at the girl's priorities, and his brother, ever the mature one, stuck out his tongue.

"Whatever, Evans. The point remains: where the bloody hell are we?"

"Speak of that," Remus spoke up for the first time, "Where's Peter right now?" This question was directed at Kreacher, and everyone turned to the elf for an answer. Regulus hadn't even noticed the missing marauder; he had always thought the fourth member of the group seemed a bit slow and useless.

Kreacher looked down and scuffed his feet against the floor, muttering darkly, "The rat not be coming sir and you is finding out later."

When all the marauders in the room opened their mouths, likely to argue against what Kreacher said, Dumbledore spoke up first. "While these are all very good questions, Kreacher has already told us that we will not learn anything unless we read about it. Unfortunately, we will never finish reading about it if you cannot remain quite." Though his words were stern, Regulus noticed that his eyes were still twinkling. Still, it had the desired effect of shutting up the Gryffindor trio for while.

**The opening notes of the music that heralded the seven o'clock news reached Harry's ears and his stomach turned over. Perhaps tonight- after a month of waiting- would be the night.**

**"Record numbers of stranded holiday makers fill air ports as the Spanish baggage-handlers' strike reaches it's second week-"**

**"Give 'em a lifelong siesta, I would," snarled Uncle Vernon over the end of the newsreader's sentence, but no matter: outside in the flowerbed, Harry's stomach seemed to unclench. If anything had happened, it would surely have been the first item on the news; death and destruction were more important than stranded holidaymakers.**

Most of the people in the room shuddered at the thought of death and destruction. Apparently, Harry was trying to find indications of the Dark Lord's work in the muggle news, though why he would resort to muggle news instead of simply subscribing to the _Daily Prophet_, Regulus could not guess.

**He let out a long, slow breath and stared up at the brilliant blue sky. Everyday this summer had been the same: the tension, the expectation, the temporary relief, and then mounting tension again… and always, growing more insistent all the time, the question of why nothing had happened yet.**

**He kept listening, just in case there was some small clue, not recognized for what it really was by the Muggles- an unexplained disappearance, perhaps, or some strange accident… but the baggage-handlers' strike was followed by news about the drought in the Southeast ("I hope he's listening next door!" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "Him with his sprinklers on at three in the morning!"), **

Somehow, Regulus found it hard to believe that this Vernon person was actually concerned about the draught. Given what had already been said about the man, it seemed far more likely he wished he had thought of the idea first.

**then a helicopter that had almost crashed in a field in Surrey, then a famous actress's divorce from her famous husband ("As if we're interested in their sordid affairs," sniffed Aunt Petunia who had followed the case obsessively in every magazine she could lay her bony hands on).**

**Harry closed his eyes against the now blazing evening sky as the newsreader said, "- and finally, Bungy the budgie has found a novel way of keeping cool this summer. Bungy, who lives at the Five Feathers in Barnsley, has learned to water ski! Mary Dorkins went to find out more."**

**Harry opened his eyes. If they had reached water-skiing budgerigars, there would be nothing else worth hearing. He rolled cautiously on to his front and raised himself on to his knees and elbows, preparing to crawl out from under the window. **

"I wonder why he doesn't just subscribe to the _Daily Prophet_?" Lily mused aloud, voicing the thought Regulus had had just a bit earlier. No one responded, and Dumbledore continued reading.

**He had moved about two inches when several things happened in very quick succession.** **A loud, echoing crack broke the sleepy silence like a gunshot; a cat streaked out from under a parked car and flew out of sight;** **a shriek, a bellowed oath and the sound of breaking china came from the Dursleys' living room, and as though this was the signal Harry had been waiting for he jumped to his feet, at the same time pulling from the waistband of his jeans at think wooden wand as if he were unsheathing a sword- but before he could draw himself up to full height, the top of his head collided with the Dursleys' open window**. **The resultant crash made Aunt Petunia scream even louder.**

**Harry felt as though his head had been split in two. Eyes streaming, he swayed, trying to focus on the street to spot the source of the noise, but he had barely staggered upright when two large purple hands reached through the open window and closed tightly around his throat.**

"OI!" yelled several people all at once. Even Regulus and Severus bore shocked looks at this bit of news. Potter was by far the most vocal, however.

"How DARE he try to strangle my son!" Potter yelled, standing up from his seat in his fury at the treatment his future son would endure. Evans had a furious look on her face as well, and Regulus could have sworn she was muttering curse words directed at her sister, something rather shocking coming from the normally uptight Head Girl. Sirius and Remus, on the other hand, were trying to restrain James from attacking the book.

"Sit down, mate," Sirius said in a surprisingly rational voice. "Destroying the book won't do any good, but I promise you that once we're done, we can pay Lily's _lovely_ sister a visit that she'll never forget." Sirius's voice was uncharacteristically savage as he spoke. However, his words seemed to have an effect on Potter, who returned to his seat, though he was still visibly seething.

Dumbledore, who had watched the exchange for once without interrupting, had a very grim look on his face. Whatever he was thinking, however, remained locked inside his head as he began reading again once James had calmed down.

**"Put- it- away!" Uncle Vernon snarled into Harry's ear. "Now! Before- anyone- sees!"**

**"Get- off- me!" Harry gasped. For a few seconds they struggled, Harry pulling at his uncles sausage-like fingers with his left hand, his right maintaining a firm grip on his raised wand; then, as the pain in the top of Harry's head gave a particularly nasty throb, Uncle Vernon yelped and released Harry as though he had received an electric shock. **

"Did he just do accidental magic?" Remus asked Dumbledore. The Headmaster, still with a frown on his face, glanced over at the most sensible marauder.

"It would seem that he did, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore replied, his frown growing.

**Some invisible force seemed to have surged through his nephew, making him impossible to hold.**

"At least it got him away from that awful man," Lily muttered under her breath, at the same time that James muttered,

"At least it made the fat git let go of him."

Neither one seemed to realize they had spoken at the same time.

**Panting, Harry fell forwards over the hydrangea bush, straightened up and stared around. There was no sign of what had caused the loud cracking noise, but there were several faces peering through various nearby windows. Harry stuffed his wand hastily back into his jeans and tried to look innocent.**

Evans snorted. "If he looks anything like his father, than that innocent look is failing miserably." She smirked at Potter, who was looking at her with a devastated expression.

"Why Lily-flower, I'm hurt that you would say such things about me," the idiot Gryffindor began dramatically. "I am the paragon of innocence and virtue."

All of the other Gryffindor boys in the room seemed to be either holding back laughter or having severe stomach problems. Regulus guessed it was more likely the former, judging by the smiles that kept breaking out on their faces. Evans merely rolled her eyes at Potter, while Severus watched the whole thing with a scowl, as silent as he had been through most of the rest of the chapter.

**"Lovely evening!" shouted Uncle Vernon, waving at Mrs. Number Seven, who was glaring from behind her net curtains. "Did you hear that car backfire just now? Gave Petunia and me quite a turn!"**

**He continued to grin in a horrible, manic way until all the curious neighbors had disappeared from their various windows, then the grin became a grimace of rage as he beckoned Harry back towards him. **

"Don't do it, Harry!" Potter yelled. Sirius and Evans nodded in agreement.

**Harry moved a few steps closer, taking care to stop just short of the point at which Uncle Vernon's outstretched hands could resume their strangling.**

"Good," Evans said. She turned to Sirius and Potter with a rather scary look on her face. "You know," she began sweetly, "while I don't generally approve of your pranking and attacking of others, I would be quite happy to look the other way if you were to pay Tuny's bloody git of a fiancé a visit from which he just happens to come out magically altered in some horrible or mortifying way."

Everyone stared at the normally proper Head Girl, stunned. Regulus personally couldn't decide if he was more shocked by the fact that she had sworn, or by the fact that she had very blatantly advocated the attack of her sister's fiancé by the marauders.

The shocks in the room were not done, however, as Severus spoke up next.

"While I would normally not wish a _marauder_," he said, sneering heavily on the word 'marauder,' "on anyone, I have to agree with Lily. You should most definitely plan on paying this Dursley a most unpleasant visit."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly as he moved on with the chapter in the shocked silence of the marauders following Severus agreeing with Evans.

**"What the devil do you mean by it, boy?" asked Uncle Vernon in a croaky voice that trembled with fury.**

"He has a name, you know." Sirius glared at the book.

"You do realize you're talking to a book, right?" Regulus assumed Lupin was trying to lighten the mood with that comment, but it failed. The entire room was tense at the way Potter's son was being treated by his uncle.

**"What do I mean by what?" Said Harry coldly. He kept looking left and right up the street, still hoping to see the person who had made the cracking noise.**

"Maybe it was me, apparating there to steal you away from the morons!" Sirius chimed up excitedly.

"One can only hope, Padfoot, one can only hope," replied Potter, indeed sounding hopeful.

**"Making a racket like a starting pistol right outside our-"**

**"I didn't make that noise," said Harry firmly.**

**Aunt Petunia's thin, horsy face now appeared beside Uncle Vernon's wide, purple one. She looked livid.**

"Lovely descriptions these people have," Regulus muttered.

**"Why were you lurking under our window?"**

"Listening to the news, obviously," Sirius commented.

**"Yes- yes, good point, Petunia! What were you doing under our window, boy?"**

**"Listening to the news," said Harry in a resigned voice.**

"See."

**His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage.**

"Yes, because listening to the news is such a horrible crime."

**"Listening to the news! Again?"**

**"Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry.**

All the marauders laughed at this, and even Regulus had to stop a smirk from forming. These muggles seemed remarkably stupid.

**"Don't you be clever with me, boy! I want to know what you're really up to- and don't give me any more of this listening to the news tosh! You know perfectly well that your lot-"**

"_Our_ lot happen to be much better than _your_ lot, thank you very much," Regulus said snidely.

This might have caused a fight, if not for Dumbledore interjecting in a stern voice, "No group is intrinsically better than another group," the old wizard remarked in a soft voice that carried great authority. "Individuals determine their own merit regardless of their ability or inability to use magic." The powerful wizards words silenced the rest of the room, and he carried on reading.

**"Careful, Vernon!" breathed Aunt Petunia, and Uncle Vernon lowered his voice so that Harry could barely hear him, "- that your lot don't get on our news!"**

**"That's all you know," said Harry.**

**The Dursleys goggled at him for a few seconds, then Aunt Petunia said, "You're a nasty little liar. **

"Oi!" Potter and Evans cried at the same time. "He is not a liar!" They blushed as they realized what they had done, and Evans pointedly looked away while Potter grinned delightedly at the occurrence. Regulus wanted to gag at the cuteness of it all.

**What are all those-" she, too, lowered her voice so that Harry had to lip-read the next work, "- owls doing if they're not bringing you news?"**

**"Aha!" said Uncle Vernon in a triumphant whisper. "Get out of that one, boy! As if we didn't know you get all your news from those pestilential birds!"**

**Harry hesitated for a moment. It cost him something to tell the truth this time, even though his aunt and uncle could not possibly know how bad he felt at admitting it.**

**"The owls… aren't bringing me news," he said tonelessly.**

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

Lupin, who was sitting next to Sirius, rolled his eyes. "I'm sure we'll find that and everything else out if people stop interrupting, Padfoot."

Sirius glared playfully at his friend. "Must you be so logical, my dear Moony?" The boy in question merely raised an eyebrow at Sirius, who relented. "Fine. Continue, Mr. Headmaster Sir, so that we may find the answers to all our questions."

Dumbledore, eyes twinkling, complied.

**"I don't believe it," said Aunt Petunia at once.**

**"No more do I," said Uncle Vernon forcefully.**

**"We know you're up to something funny," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"We're not stupid, you know," said Uncle Vernon.**

"Well, that's certainly news," Severus sneered softly enough that only Regulus heard him.

**"Well, that's news to me," said Harry,**

Regulus had to stifle a snort as he realized his friend had just had the exact same thought as the child of his enemy. The other boy's scowl as he noticed the same thing was quite amusing.

**his temper rising, and before the Dursleys could call him back, he had wheeled about, crossed the front lawn, stepped over the low garden wall and was striding off up the street. **

**He was in trouble now and he knew it. He would have to face his aunt and uncle later and pay the price for his rudeness, **

"Don't worry Harry," Sirius said to the book. "It's not rude to walk away from prejudiced gits, even if they are supposed to be family." Potter patted Sirius on the back.

"Well said, Padfoot."

**but he did not care very much just at the moment; he had much more pressing matters on his mind.**

**Harry was sure the cracking noise had been made by someone Apparating or Disapparating. It was exactly the sound Dobby the house-elf made when he vanished into thin air. Was it possible that Dobby was here in Privet Drive? Could Dobby be following him right at this very moment?**

"Um, why would a house elf be following our son around, James?" Evans asked, looking at Potter as though he would have the answer.

"I've no idea, Lils," the boy replied, not seeming to notice the slight blush at the nickname, rather different from the anger the girl had displayed towards Potter for years whenever he so much as spoke to her. He wondered how much longer it would take for the two of them to get together, given the way they had been acting throughout the chapter so far, and the obvious fact from the book that they would be married someday. Hopefully that would make the stupid blushing and coy little acts between the two of them go away, the Slytherin boy thought without much real optimism.

**As this thought occurred he wheeled around and stared back down Privet Drive, but it appeared to be completely deserted and Harry was sure that Dobby did not know how to become invisible.** **He walked on, hardly aware of the route he was taking, for he had pounded these streets so often lately that his feet carried him to his favorite haunts automatically. Every few steps he glanced back over his shoulder. Someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias, he was sure of it. Why hadn't they spoken to him, why hadn't they made contact, why were they hiding now?**

"That's a good question," Evans said aloud. She then glared in the direction of Sirius, saying, "It had better not be you playing some sort of prank on him."

**And then, as his feeling of frustration peaked, his certainty leaked away. **

**Perhaps it hadn't been a magical sound after all. Perhaps he was so desperate for the tiniest sign of contact from the world to which he belonged that he was simply overreacting to perfectly ordinary noises. Could he be sure it hadn't been the sound of something breaking inside a neighbor's house?**

"Why is he so desperate for contact?" Potter asked, sounding worried. His friends and Evans looked worried as well, and Regulus himself wondered the same thing, though he emphatically told himself that he was _not_ worried about the boy, merely curious.

**Harry felt a dull, sinking sensation in his stomach and before he knew it the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued him all summer rolled over him once again.**

**Tomorrow morning he would be woken by the alarm at five o'clock so he could pay the owl that delivered the Daily Prophet - but was there any point continuing to take it?** **Harry merely glanced at the front page before throwing it aside these days; when the idiots who ran the paper finally realized that Voldemort was back**

Even Dumbledore paused at that line. After a moment had passed for the words to sink in, an eruption of noise flew through the room.

"Back!"

"Where did he go?"

"When was he gone?"

All these questions rang in the air, but no one had an answer. Sirius suddenly turned to Kreacher, who had so far remained silent against a far wall. "What the hell happens in the future?" he asked the elf, who shook his head defiantly at Sirius.

"I is not saying, Master Sirius," the elf said in a strong voice. "Master Harry is saying you are to be learning everything from the books."

"As much as I wish to have the answers immediately as well, Mr. Black, perhaps it would be most prudent to carry on." Dumbledore's voice did not stop Sirius from sending a dark glare towards Kreacher, but he refrained, surprisingly enough, from saying anything.

**it would be headline news, and that was the only kind Harry cared about.**

**If he was lucky, there would also be owls carrying letters from his best friends Ron and Hermione, though any expectation he'd had that their letters would bring him news had long since been dashed.**

**We can't say much about you-know-what, obviously… We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray… We're quite busy but I can't give you details here… There's a fair amount going on, we'll tell you everything when we see you…**

"Well those sound useless," Potter said indignantly.

"If they actually do know anything important," Evans replied in a haughty voice, "then it probably is for the best that they don't put it into a letter that could be intercepted by Death Eaters."

"That is a very wise statement, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore told the girl, looking thoughtful as Potter stared at her, looking betrayed.

"They could at least be nicer and less teasing about it," Potter grumbled.

**But when were they going to see him? Nobody seemed too bothered with a precise date.** **Hermione had scribbled I expect we'll be seeing you quite soon inside his birthday card, but how soon was soon? As far as Harry could tell from the vague hints in their letters, Hermione and Ron were in the same place, presumably at Ron's parents' house. ** **He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at The Burrow when he was stuck in Privet Drive.**

"See," Potter said to no one in particular, "they're being teasing, which is useless."

**In fact, he was so angry with them he had thrown away, unopened, the two boxes of Honeydukes chocolates they'd sent him for his birthday.**

"Not the chocolate!" Remus gasped, sounding horrified.

"Yes, Lupin," Severus sneered before anyone else could respond. "Among all the horrible things we're learning, let's concentrate on the loss of chocolate."

Lupin looked a little embarrassed; Sirius and Potter glared at Severus.

**He'd regretted it later, after the wilted salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night.**

Most of the boys looked a little grossed out at the thought of the salad.

**And what were Ron and Hermione busy with? Why wasn't he, Harry, busy? Hadn't he proved himself capable of handling much more than them? Had they all forgotten what he had done? Hadn't it been he who had entered that graveyard and watched Cedric being murdered, and been tied to that tombstone and nearly killed?**

Gasps of horror filled the room.

"Why was my son tied to a tombstone?" Evans asked in a shaky voice, at the same time that Potter yelled,

"Why in the name of Merlin's saggy balls was someone murdered in front of my tied up son?"

Kreacher shifted, obviously trying to hide in some shadows that had conveniently appeared in the room, but Evans noticed him anyway. "Kreacher," she said in an oddly sweet voice, "if we don't find out soon what the hell is going on with my child, you _will _tell us." The combination of sweetness and savagery in her voice had Regulus looking at the girl with a newfound respect while all the marauders, even Potter, edged slowly away from the angry redhead. Kreacher made a noise that sounded like 'meep.'

Oddly enough, when Regulus glanced at Sev, he was wearing a look strangely akin to pride on his face. Regulus filed this away as yet another odd thing about the relationship between his Slytherin friend and the Gryffindor girl.

**Don't think about that, Harry told himself sternly for the hundredth time that summer. It was bad enough that he kept revisiting the graveyard in his nightmares, without dwelling on it in his waking moments too.**

"Oh, the poor kid," Evans muttered, sounding unusually motherly.

**He turned a corner into Magnolia Crescent; halfway along he passed the narrow alleyway down the side of a garage where he had first clapped eyes on his godfather. Sirius,**

"Hooray! I'm finally there!" Sirius yelled.

Potter, however, looked uncertain. "Yeah," he replied, gazing at the book, "but why did he first see you in an alley, and why aren't you taking care of him?"

Sirius didn't seem to have an answer to these questions.

**at least, seemed to understand how Harry was feeling. ** **Admittedly, his letters were just as empty of proper news as Ron and Hermione's, but at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalizing hints:**

**I know this must be frustrating for you… Keep your nose clean and everything will be okay… Be careful and don't do anything rash…**

Everyone stared at Sirius, who was looking quite shocked, himself.

"Do you even know how to act responsibly, Padfoot?" Lupin asked his friend teasingly.

"Yes, brother," Regulus added in, unable to avoid the chance to mock his brother, though his words were rather less friendly than Lupin's, "since when do you advice people _not_ to act rashly?"

Sirius, for his part, seemed completely at a loss, only able to say, "I dunno, maybe I've gone mad, and that's why I'm not watching over Harry."

**Well, thought Harry, as he crossed Magnolia Crescent, turned into Magnolia Road and headed towards the darkening play park, he had (by and large) done as Sirius advised.**

"Good thing he's more sensible than Black, then," Evans said, and the marauders, except for Sirius all snorted.

"Very true," Potter and Lupin agreed, while Sirius rolled his eyes at them.

"I can be mature sometimes," he said in a snooty voice, adopting a remarkably good impression of the haughty and aristocratic pureblood he always tried to avoid being. Regulus knew that he was trying to mock the look, and would probably have hexed his brother for letting him know how well the look suited him.

For all that Sirius had tried to avoid learning anything their parents taught, Regulus knew that some of the mannerisms had made their mark in Sirius's bearing, something that came out most noticeably whenever the older boy tried to mock those very same mannerisms.

Still, in the interest of keeping his body parts intact, Regulus wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

**He had at least resisted the temptation to tie his trunk to his broomstick and set off for The Burrow by himself.** **In fact, Harry thought his behavior had been very good considering how frustrated and angry he felt at being stuck in Privet Drive so long, reduced to hiding in flowerbeds in the hope of hearing something that might point to what Lord Voldemort was doing. Nevertheless, it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a man who had served twelve years in the wizard prison, Azkaban, escaped, attempted to commit the murder he had been convicted for in the first place, then gone on the run with a stolen Hippogriff.**

Once again, there was silence in the room as everyone stared at Sirius.

"Um, Padfoot," Lupin began, uncertainly-

"What the hell did you do?" Potter finished.

"I've no idea, but it sounds unpleasant," Sirius replied to them both, staring at the book as though hoping it would just tell them what in the name of Merlin was going on in this mad future.

The book failed to comply, but Dumbledore did keep reading, after a pause.

**Harry vaulted over the locked park gate and set off across the parched grass. The park was as empty as the surrounding streets. When he reached the swings he sank on to the only one that Dudley and his friends had not yet managed to break, coiled one arm around the chain and stared moodily at the ground. He would not be able to hide in the Dursleys' flowerbed again.** **Tomorrow, he would have to think of some fresh way of listening to the news. In the meantime, he had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped the nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors all finishing in dead ends and locked doors, which he supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake. ** **Often the old scar on his forehead prickled uncomfortably,**

Dumbledore paused for just a moment at this as a strange look crossed his face, but the event was so brief that Regulus was not sure how many others besides himself had noticed.

**but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting news anymore. In the past, his scar hurting had warned that Voldemort was getting stronger again,**

Dumbledore did not pause this time, but now everyone had confused looks on their faces.

**but now that Voldemort was back they would probably remind him that its regular irritation was only to be expected… nothing to worry about… old news…**

**The injustice of it all welled up inside him so that he wanted to yell with fury. If it hadn't been for him, nobody would even have known Voldemort was back! And his reward was to be stuck in Little Whinging for four solid weeks, completely cut off from the magical world, reduced to squatting among dying begonias so that he could hear about water-skiing budgerigars! How could Dumbledore have forgotten him so easily? Why had Ron and Hermione got together without inviting him along, too? How much longer was he supposed to endure Sirius telling him to sit tight and be a good boy; or resist the temptation to write to the stupid Daily Prophet and point out that Voldemort had returned? These furious thoughts whirled around in Harry's head, and his insides writhed with anger as a sultry, velvety night fell around him, the air full of the smell of warm, dry grass, and the only sound that of the low grumble of traffic on the road beyond the park railings.**

**He did not know how long he had sat on the swing before the sound of voices interrupted his musings and he looked up. The streetlamps from the surrounding roads were casting a misty glow strong enough to silhouette a group of people making their way across the park. One of them was singing a loud, crude song. The others were laughing. A soft ticking noise came from several expensive racing bikes that they were wheeling along.**

**Harry knew who those people were. The figure in front was unmistakably his cousin, Dudley Dursley, wending his way home, accompanied by his faithful gang.**

There were several grimaces at the mention of Dudley. After the way Harry's aunt and uncle had treated him, and given the earlier description of the boy's activities, it was unlikely that a meeting between the two would go well at all.

**Dudley was as vast as ever, but a year's hard dieting and the discovery of a new talent had wrought quite a change in his physique. As Uncle Vernon delightedly told anyone who would listen, Dudley had recently become the Junior Heavyweight Inter-School Boxing Champion of the Southeast. **

"Great, so now the fat git is learning how to beat people up more efficiently. Sounds like a wonderful idea to me," Sirius said sarcastically. Potter and Evans were both glaring at the book.

**'The noble sport', as Uncle Vernon called it, had made Dudley even more formidable than he had seemed to Harry in their primary school days when he had served as Dudley's first punching bag. **

"Tuny is so going down for this," Evans muttered viciously, and as Potter and Sirius nodded along, Severus quietly replied,

"Oh yes, she most definitely is."

**Harry was not remotely afraid of his cousin any more but he still didn't think that Dudley learning to punch harder and more accurately was cause for celebration.** **Neighborhood children all around were terrified of him - even more terrified than they were of 'that Potter boy' who, they had been warned, was a hardened hooligan and attended St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.**

"Why you stupid bint!" Potter yelled, at the same time Evans cried,

"He most certainly is not!"

Sirius chimed in with, "Your fat git of a son is more in need of a school for criminal boys than Prongs's kid!"

Regulus personally didn't see a need to get so worked up over this information. What did it matter what the other muggles thought of Potter's son? It wasn't like his relatives could tell anyone where he really went even if they had wanted to; it hardly mattered then where the muggles thought he _was_ going.

**Harry watched the dark figures crossing the grass and wondered who they had been beating up tonight. Look round, Harry found himself thinking as he watched them. Come on… look round… I'm sitting here all alone… come and have a go…**

"Ugh, I'll bet he gets that trouble-seeking side from you, James," Evans sniffed, glaring at the boy in question.

**If Dudley's friends saw him sitting here, they would be sure to make a beeline for him and what would Dudley do then? He wouldn't want to lose face in front of the gang, but he'd be terrified of provoking Harry… it would be really fun to watch Dudley's dilemma, to taunt him, watch him, with him powerless to respond… **

"Yes," Severus drawled in one of his rare talkative moments. "That really _does_ sound like you, Potter, taunting the innocent and enjoying the pain of others."

Potter, for his part, glared at Severus. "You're hardly an innocent, Sniv-"

Before he could get the word out, there was a loud BANG, and Potter found himself hanging upside down in the air, Kreacher's finger pointed at him threateningly.

"Master Harry says no one is to be using that word, sir," the tiny elf squeaked, looking remarkably scary for a tiny towel-clad elf. "Snivellus and the mudblood word is both being off limits, sirs and miss," Kreacher continued, addressing the whole room, now.

With that, Potter crashed back to the floor in a heap, to the amusement of both Severus and Regulus. He opened his mouth, likely to say something snide or cruel, but Evans beat him to it.

"Kreacher is right, James. You shouldn't call Severus that awful name. It's just as cruel as when he calls me a mudblood." Her words were cool, and Severus's face, which had started out grinning at the beginning of her face, fell into a remorseful look at the end. Regulus was pretty sure he was the only who noticed, however, as Potter's reply was cut off by the headmaster giving him a quelling look and then continuing to read.

**and if any of the others tried hitting Harry, he was ready - he had his wand. Let them try… he'd love to vent some of his frustration on the boys who had once made his life hell.**

**But they didn't turn around, they didn't see him, they were almost at the railings. Harry mastered the impulse to call after them… seeking a fight was not a smart move… he must not use magic… he would be risking expulsion again.**

"Again? Sounds like this isn't the first time he's bullied his cousin." Potter glared at Severus, visibly holding himself in check.

Dumbledore, however, did speak. "That is quite enough, Mr. Snape." Severus looked mutinous for a moment, but said no more.

**The voices of Dudley's gang died away; they were out of sight, heading along Magnolia Road.** **There you go, Sirius, Harry thought dully. Nothing rash. Kept my nose clean. Exactly the opposite of what you'd have done.**

"Harry knows you well," Lupin said in a slightly forced joking voice, trying, it would seem, to diffuse the tension in the room. His attempt worked somewhat, as Potter laughed and Sirius rolled his eyes at them both.

**He got to his feet and stretched. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon seemed to feel that whenever Dudley turned up was the right time to be home, and any time after that was much too late.** **Uncle Vernon had threatened to lock Harry in the shed if he came home after Dudley ever again,**

A fat, stupid looking dummy appeared in the middle of the room and then promptly exploded before everyone's eyes. The angry responses of the rest of the room to the previous sentence died off from everyone's lips as they stared at the Head Girl, who was fuming and had her wand out, pointed at the smoking remains of the dummy.

"Please do continue," she said calmly to the headmaster, her eyes still filled with anger. Potter had a sappy look on his face as he stared at her, but Regulus merely found himself glad the he had never aroused the girl's anger, now.

**so, stifling a yawn, and still scowling, Harry set off towards the park gate. **

**Magnolia Road, like Privet Drive, was full of large, square houses with perfectly manicured lawns, all owned by large, square owners who drove very clean cars similar to Uncle Vernon's.** **Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel bright color in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his 'delinquent' appearance when he passed the householders. He walked quickly, so that halfway along Magnolia Road Dudley's gang came into view again; they were saying their farewells at the entrance to Magnolia Crescent. Harry stepped into the shadow of a large lilac tree and waited.**

"… **squealed like a pig, didn't he?" Malcolm was saying, to guffaws from the others.**

"**Nice right hook, Big D," said Piers.**

"**Same time tomorrow?" said Dudley.**

"**Round at my place, my parents will be out," said Gordon.**

"**See you then," said Dudley.**

"**Bye, Dud!"**

"**See ya, Big D!"**

**Harry waited for the rest of the gang to move on before setting off again. When their voices had faded once more he headed around the corner into Magnolia Crescent and by walking very quickly he soon came within hailing distance of Dudley, who was strolling along at his ease, humming tunelessly.**

"Curse him, curse him, curse him," Potter and Sirius chanted together. They only stopped when Evans pointed her wand at them.

"I'd like to hear the rest of the story if you please," she said in the same calm voice she had used just after destroying the dummy. The two Gryffindors shut up immediately.

"**Hey, Big D!"**

**Dudley turned.**

"**Oh," he grunted. "It's you."**

"**How long have you been 'Big D' then?" said Harry.**

"**Shut it," snarled Dudley, turning away.**

"**Cool name," said Harry, grinning and falling into step beside his cousin. "But you'll always be **'**Ickle Diddykins' to me."**

Sirius and Potter both burst into laughter at that, and even Regulus had raised his eyebrows at the astonishingly awful name.

"I-ickle Diddyk-kins," his brother and Potter were still laughing as the reading continued.

"**I said, SHUT IT!" said Dudley, whose ham-like hands had curled into fists.**

"**Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you**?"

This knowledge set of another round of giggling, while Severus and Regulus shared disgusted looks at the thought of having such an unfortunate pet name. Neither of them had had exceptionally wonderful childhoods, but they at least had never been forced to endure the torture of a mother's awful pet names.

**"Shut your face."**

**"You don't tell her to shut her face. What about 'Popkin' and 'Dinky Diddydums', can I use them then?"**

Sirius and Potter snorted again. Regulus had to admit, Evans's sister seemed to have a remarkable ability to come up with the worst possible names.

**Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harry seemed to demand all his self-control.**

This brought the laughter of the marauders to an end as Potter growled, "You better not hit my son, _Ickle Diddykins._"

**"So who've you been beating up tonight?" Harry asked, his grin fading. "Another ten-year-old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago -"**

"**He was asking for it," snarled Dudley.**

"**Oh yeah?"**

"**He cheeked me."**

"**Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true."**

The marauders laughed again at this. Regulus had to admit that the insult was probably true, given the descriptions of the boy so far.

**A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know how furious he was making Dudley; he felt as though he was siphoning off his own frustration into his cousin, the only outlet he had.**

"Oh Harry," Evans said, suddenly back in mother-mode. "You really need to find a healthier outlet for your anger."

Sirius snickered. "You do realize you're talking to the book, Evans?" She blushed and glared at Sirius, who merely laughed.

**They turned right down the narrow alleyway where Harry had first seen Sirius and which formed a short cut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.**

Regulus personally thought this sounded like a rather ominous setup.

**"Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley said after a few seconds.**

**"What thing?"**

**"That - that thing you are hiding."**

Sirius and Potter snickered. "The fat oaf can't even say the word wand?"

**Harry grinned again.**

**"Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I s'pose, if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time."**

"Score two for Harry," Potter said amidst his laughter.

**Harry pulled out his wand. He saw Dudley look sideways at it.**

"**You're not allowed," Dudley said at once. "I know you're not. You'd get expelled from that freak school you go to."**

"**How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?"**

"**They haven't," said Dudley, though he didn't sound completely convinced.**

"Harry may not be able to do magic," Sirius spoke up, "but James and I are both seventeen. I think, Evans, that we'll be paying your sister a visit next chance we get."

"Oh, you'll have to wait in line, Black," Evans replied. "I'm seventeen as well, after all."

**Harry laughed softly.**

"**You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?" Dudley snarled.**

**"Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten year old. **

"Sounds a lot like a group of Gryffindors I know," Severus stated coldly. Said Gryffindors glared at him and would have replied, had Dumbledore allowed them too. However, the Headmaster continued his pattern of reading over their voices, and the Gryffindors remained silent.

**You know that boxing title you keep banging on about? How old was your opponent? Seven? Eight?"**

"**He was sixteen, for your information," snarled Dudley, "and he was out cold for twenty minutes after I'd finished with him and he was twice as heavy as you. You just wait till I tell Dad you had that thing out –"**

"**Running to Daddy now, are you? Is his ickle boxing champ frightened of nasty Harry's wand?"**

The marauders sniggered. Regulus, however, thought the boy sounded remarkably vindictive. _Figures the kid would be as nasty as his father,_ Regulus thought meanly to himself.

"**Not this brave at night, are you?" sneered Dudley.**

"**This is night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this."**

"**I mean when you're in bed!" Dudley snarled.**

"He must talk during his nightmares," Evans gasped, and Potter joined her in directing concerned looks at the book.

**He had stopped walking. Harry stopped too, staring at his cousin.**

**From the little he could see of Dudley's large face, he was wearing a strangely triumphant look.**

"**What d'you mean, I'm not brave when I'm in bed?" said Harry, completely nonplussed. "What am I supposed to be frightened of, pillows or something?"**

"Terrifying things, those. Never know when they might attack." Potter's voice was light, but there was a tinge of worry beneath.

"**I heard you last night," said Dudley breathlessly. "Talking in your sleep. Moaning."**

"**What d'you mean?" Harry said again, but there was a cold, plunging sensation in his stomach. He had revisited the graveyard last night in his dreams.**

"Oh Harry," Evans murmured. She then turned on Kreacher, who was still failing to hide in his convenient shadows. "I still intend to know what is going on, and why my son was tied to a gravestone while someone died," she said in a menacing voice.

"Kreacher promises that miss will find out," the little elf squeaked.

**Dudley gave a harsh bark of laughter, then adopted a high-pitched whimpering voice.**

**"Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric - your boyfriend?"**

"**I - you're lying," said Harry automatically. **

Even Regulus felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy. It would be awful to have an enemy know of his nightmares, he knew.

**But his mouth had gone dry. He knew Dudley wasn't lying - how else would he know about Cedric?**

"**Dad! Help me, Dad! He's going to kill me, Dad! Boo hoo!"**

Potter had an odd look on his face, as though he couldn't decide whether to scream or cry. For the first time, Regulus appreciated how impotent the rash Gryffindor boy must feel, being able to hear about his son's troubles, but not being able to do anything about it.

Evans must have realized, and likely felt, the same thing, because she moved closer to Potter and quietly took his hand. Potter's face relaxed just a bit as he looked over at Evans in surprise, and the ghost of a smile touched his lips.

When Regulus glanced over at Severus after watching the exchanged, he found the other boy's gaze fixed on the two intertwined hands with an odd aching look on his face.

"**Shut up," said Harry quietly. "Shut up, Dudley, I'm warning you!"**

"**Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to - don't you point that thing at me!"**

Both Potter and Evans were looking rather sick at their inability to help the child who was calling for them, and Sirius and Lupin were sending pitying looks towards the two.

**Dudley backed into the alley wall. Harry was pointing the wand directly at Dudley's heart. Harry could feel fourteen years' hatred of Dudley pounding in his veins - what wouldn't he give to strike now, to jinx Dudley so thoroughly he'd have to crawl home like an insect, struck dumb, sprouting feelers…**

Dumbledore was looking increasingly sad as he read, and most of the Gryffindors were looking a mixture of angry and sad.

"**Don't ever talk about that again," Harry snarled. "D'you understand me?"**

"**Point that thing somewhere else!"**

"**I said, do you understand me?"**

"**Point it somewhere else!"**

"**DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"**

"**GET THAT THING AWAY FROM -"**

**Dudley gave an odd, shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused in icy water.**

"Oh Harry, what did you do?" Evans asked, clutching at Potters hand hard enough to make the boy wince through his worry.

**Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch black and lightless - the stars, the moon, the misty streetlamps at either end of the alley had vanished. The distant rumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy evening was suddenly piercingly, bitingly cold. **

Regulus had a very bad feeling about this that was growing with every sentence. There was only one thing he could think of that could have the effect being described. With a look at his face, Regulus could tell that his brother was coming to the same conclusion.

**They were surrounded by total, impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them.**

**For a split second Harry thought he had done magic without meaning to, despite the fact that he'd been resisting as hard as he could - then his reason caught up with his senses - he didn't have the power to turn off the stars. He turned his head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless veil.**

"What the bloody hell are Dementors doing there?" Sirius whispered in a choked voice.

Surprisingly, it was Dumbledore who answered. "I do not know Mr. Black, though I too am quite curious. They should not be in a muggle neighborhood."

Regulus had a feeling that Dumbledore had several theories, at least, but the old man said no more.

**Dudley's terrified voice broke in Harry's ear.**

"**W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!"**

"**I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!"**

"**I c-can't see! I've g-gone blind! I -"**

"**I said shut up!"**

The whole room seemed to be taking Harry's advice, and Regulus was no exception. He held his breath, waiting to see what was going to happen.

**Harry stood stock still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was** **so intense he was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up - he opened his eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly around, unseeing.** **It was impossible… they couldn't be here… not in Little Whinging… he strained his ears… he would hear them before he saw them…**

**"I'll t-tell Dad!" Dudley whimpered. "W-where are you? What are you d-do—?"**

**"Will you shut up?" Harry hissed, "I'm trying to lis —"**

**But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading.**

The silence in the room, which had already reached deafening proportions, grew even deeper and more tense.

**There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, rattling breaths. **

Regulus started shivering at this. He had only encountered Dementors once, when his parents took him and Sirius to Azkaban to visit an older relative who had been "wrongfully imprisoned for no good reason by those bleeding heart blood-traitors in the Ministry" according to his parents. As awful as everything about the Dementors was, Regulus had been most effected by the horrible sound of their breathing. It was a sound that had seemed to suck the very air from his lungs, leaving him breathless and gasping, spiraling fears building in his mind to fill the cavity created by lack of air.

**Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air.**

**"C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!"**

**"Dudley, shut—"**

**WHAM.**

"That idiot!" several people shouted at once, and Regulus couldn't blame them. The boy was a muggle, and he had just punched his only defense against the horrific creatures surrounding him.

Even Dumbledore had a note of worry in his ever calm voice.

**A fist made contact with the side of Harry's head, lifting him off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of his eyes. ** **For the second time in an hour Harry felt as though his head had been cleaved in two; next moment, he had landed hard on the ground and his wand had flown out of his hand.**

"**You moron, Dudley!" Harry yelled, his eyes watering with pain as he scrambled to his hands and knees, feeling around frantically in the blackness. He heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling.**

"**DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!"**

"Shit, Prongs," Sirius muttered shakily, "not even that fat git deserves to be confronted with Dementors."

**There was a horrible squealing yell and Dudley's footsteps stopped. At the same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could mean only one thing. There was more than one.**

Evans moaned, seeming beyond words in her fear. Even Potter was not speaking for once; his mouth was instead pressed into a thin line and his eyes were drawn with fear.

**"DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!" Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders.** **"Where's - wand -come on -lumos!"**

**He said the spell automatically, desperate for light to help him in his search - and to his disbelieving relief, light flared inches from his right hand - the wand tip had ignited. **

Even in the midst of all the tension, there was an outbreak of surprise at this. "He did wandless magic?" Potter asked.

"It would seem so, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore agreed. "You seem to have a fairly talented son."

**Harry snatched it up, scrambled to his feet and turned around. **

**His stomach turned over. **

**A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly towards him, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as it came.**

Regulus wasn't the only one to shiver this time.

**Stumbling backwards, Harry raised his wand.**

**"Expecto patronum!"**

"Thank Merlin he knows the spell," Evans breathed.

Potter, however, still looked worried. "Yeah, but he's only fifteen. He may know the spell, but can he use it?" Regulus privately agreed with the Gryffindor, though he would never admit to such a thing out loud. Still, the Patronus Charm was highly advanced magic. There was little chance that a boy not even started in fifth year would be able to make it work.

**A silvery wisp of vapor shot from the tip of the wand **

Evans moaned again, and Potter moved his hand so that he could put his arm around her shoulder. Severus, for some reason, scowled at this and turned his head away.

**and the Dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly; tripping over his own feet, Harry retreated further as the Dementor bore down upon him, panic fogging his brain -concentrate–**

**A pair of grey, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the Dementor's robes, reaching for him. A rushing noise filled Harry's ears.**

**"Expecto patronum!"**

"Come on Harry," Sirius and Lupin said together, both looking nearly as worried as Evans and Potter as the event progressed.

**His voice sounded dim and distant. Another wisp of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from the wand - he couldn't do it any more, he couldn't work the spell. **

**There was laughter inside his own head, shrill, high-pitched laughter… he could smell the Dementor's putrid, death-cold breath filling his own lungs, drowning him - think… something happy…**

**But there was no happiness in him… the Dementor's icy fingers were closing on his throat – the high-pitched laughter was growing louder and louder, and a voice spoke inside his head: "Bow to death, Harry… it might even be painless… I would not know… I have never died…"**

Everyone looked shocked at this.

"D'you think- " began Potter.

"I don't know-" continued Lupin

"It might be," Sirius finished.

"What?" Evans asked, looking sicker.

"Voldemort," every marauder said together.

Dumbledore was looking grimmer than ever.

**He was never going to see Ron and Hermione again – **

**And their faces burst clearly into his mind as he fought for breath.**

**"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"**

**An enormous silver stag erupted from the tip of Harry's wand; **

Evans cheered in relief, and even Regulus had to admit to some relief and a certain amount of awe that the boy had managed a corporeal patronus. The marauders, however, had a strange reaction. Each of them was staring at the book in surprise, and Potter had a strangely shiny look to his eyes.

"It's a stag," the messy haired boy whispered low enough that Regulus barely caught it. His eyes held an odd mix of pride and overwhelming sadness.

**its antlers caught the Dementor in the place where the heart should have been; it was thrown backwards, weightless as darkness, and as the stag charged, the Dementor swooped away, bat-like and defeated.**

**"THIS WAY!" Harry shouted at the stag. Wheeling around, he sprinted down the alleyway, holding the lit wand aloft. "DUDLEY? DUDLEY!"**

**He had run barely a dozen steps when he reached them: Dudley was curled up on the ground, his arms clamped over his face. A second Dementor was crouching low over him, gripping his wrists in its slimy hands, prizing them slowly almost lovingly apart, lowering its hooded head towards Dudley's face as though about to kiss him.**

"No one deserves that," Sirius said shakily.

"Harry will stop the Dementor," Potter said determinedly.

**"GET IT!" Harry bellowed, and with a rushing, roaring sound, the silver stag he had conjured came galloping past him. The Dementor's eyeless face was barely an inch from Dudley's when the silver antlers caught it; the thing was thrown up into the air and, like its fellow, it soared away and was absorbed into the darkness; the stag cantered to the end of the alleyway and dissolved into silver mist.**

**Moon, stars and streetlamps burst back into life. **

All the Gryffindors cheered, and the twinkle had returned to Dumbledore's eyes. "Thank Merlin he knew that spell," Evans said, a smile threatening to split her face. "If I knew who taught him that spell, I'd kiss them."

"Normally that would make me rather jealous," Potter began, also wearing a huge grin and looking anything but jealous, "but in this case I think I'd have to kiss them too."

**A warm breeze swept the alleyway. Trees rustled in neighboring gardens and the mundane rumble of cars in Magnolia Crescent filled the air again.**

**Harry stood quite still, all his senses vibrating, taking in the abrupt return to normality. After a moment, he became aware that his T-shirt was sticking to him; he was drenched in sweat. He could not believe what had just happened. Dementors here, in Little Whinging.**

"I wonder what caused them to be there," Dumbledore stated to himself.

Regulus was pretty sure the entire room was wondering the same thing.

**Dudley lay curled up on the ground, whimpering and shaking. Harry bent down to see whether he was in a fit state to stand up, but then he heard loud, running footsteps behind him. Instinctively raising his wand again, he span on his heel to face the newcomer.**

**Mrs. Figg, **

"Well that's not good. She's a muggle, so she's going to have some serious questions that Harry's not going to be able to answer."

"Actually, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore cut in, "I do believe that Mrs. Figg is Arabella Figg. She is a Squib and thus already knows of Dementors and the rest of the magical world."

Several people breathed sighs of relief at this. Regulus pretended he was not one of those people.

**their batty old neighbor, came panting into sight. Her grizzled gray hair was escaping from its hairnet, a clanking string shopping bag was swinging from her wrist and her feet were halfway out of her tartan carpet slippers. **

"Lovely description," Sirius snorted. Evans glared at him, and he shut up.

**Harry made to stow his wand hurriedly out of sight, but-**

"**Don't put it away idiot boy!" she shrieked. "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!"**

"Mundungus Fletcher? Not that sketchy Slytherin who graduated a few years ago who was always stealing things?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"I believe it is the same Mundungus Fletcher, yes," Dumbledore responded. "However, we have reached the end of the chapter. Would anyone else like to take a turn at reading." The old wizard held out the book, and Evans took it immediately.

"I'll read," she said. "I want to know what's going on." The last sentence was spoken innocently enough, but Regulus noticed her glance dart darkly to Kreacher's now completely black corner of the room.

"Chapter two," she read, **"A Peck of Owls."**

_**AN: **_As you may have noticed, I've been writing in Regulus's POV so far, but I've realized that this severely limits my ability to write about the thoughts and feelings of the other characters. I still plan to limit each chapter to one POV, but how would people feel about each chapter being from a different character's perspective?

Also, I'm thinking about adding Peter in at some point. I feel like the marauders will want him there once his loyalties start coming into question so that they can question him themselves, but I'm not sure how wise this is. I'm torn on whether I think Peter deserves a chance at redemption, or if he should just die because he's a horrible traitorous arse. What do you think?

And of course, even if you don't have an opinion on the above topics, reviews are much loved. Please tell me what you think. I'm planning on updating this story every Sunday; hopefully that will work out.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** So, I am an utterly horrible person. I definitely meant to have this up ages ago, but real life (read: school) got in the way. It's been absolutely ridiculous, but I suppose that's what I get for majoring in a thing like physics. In addition to that, I started writing this chapter about five different times, each time from a different character's POV, but it refused to work out until I finally settled on the right one. Then my computer broke a few weeks ago, and I've been typing everything since then on school computers. I'll refrain from making any guesses this time about when the next chapter will be up, but I can promise that I'm not abandoning this story. It will probably take awhile, but I intend to finish.

Lastly, I apologize if the quality is a bit off in places. I wrote some of this on very little sleep and lots of homework-induced stress, so I'm afraid it's not my best work. Still, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**A Peck of Owls**

Severus Snape sat quietly as Lily began reading the second chapter. Though he did his best to keep his face a blank mask, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotion. According to these books, the only girl he had ever loved would marry the slimy git, Potter, and reproduce with him. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, she was going to be killed by the very man Severus had been planning to join with Regulus in just a few days.

Added to these thoughts were his uncertainties about the younger Potter. His first thought had been that the boy would be as horrible as his father, and truthfully there were a few incidences that made his first assumptions seem justified, such as the taunting of his cousin. Then again, the boy's cousin was the son of Lily's awful sister, and a traitorous part of his mind noted that the boy probably deserved a bit of taunting. Petunia, it seemed, had spoiled her son rotten and left Harry neglected, possibly emotionally abused, even. Severus could not help but feel reluctant empathy with the boy.

The last part of his mind was taken up by the interactions between his former best friend and the Gryffindor moron, Potter. The two had been so… _cozy_ … a few times as they read the book. It made Severus feel sick, angry, and overwhelmingly sad to see the girl he loved flirting with and being comforted by his biggest rival.

Before his thoughts could get away from him, however, he dragged himself back to the present, where Lily was reading the book in her beautiful, perfect Lily-voice.

"**He left!" said Mrs. Figg, wringing her hands. "Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom!**

"Still a thief, then," Potter muttered.

Severus considered cursing him for interrupting Lily, but didn't think the House Elf cowering in a corner would like anyone being cursed.

**I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr. Tibbles on the case! But we haven't got time to stand** **around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"**

"**But -" The revelation that his batty old cat-obsessed neighbor knew what Dementors were was almost as big a shock to Harry as meeting two of them down the alleyway. "You're - you're a witch?"**

"Squib!" Black sang out annoyingly.

Severus ground his teeth at the interruption, but remained silent.

"**I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows ****full**** well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off Dementors? He left you completely without cover when I'd warned him -"**

"**This Mundungus has been following me? Hang on - it was him! He Disapparated from the front of my house!"**

"**Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr. Tibbles under a car just in case, and Mr. Tibbles came and warned me, **

"He must be a kneazle," Regulus murmured.

Again, Severus wished people would shut up and let Lily read. He satisfied himself with sending a brief glare in his Slytherin friend's direction

**but by the time I got to your house you'd gone - and now - oh, what's Dumbledore going to say? You!" she shrieked at Dudley, still supine on the alley floor. "Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!"**

**"You know Dumbledore?" said Harry, staring at her.**

"Your son seems a bit thick, Prongs," Black joked to his friend. "Everyone knows Dumbledore!"

Before Potter could retort, Severus lost his control and spat out, "Will you all shut up? I would like to hear the book."

Black and Potter turned identical glares on him, and a fight was obviously brewing, when Lily spoke up. "I for one agree with Severus," she said calmly. "I would appreciate being able to read without interruption.

Severus glared at the sappy look that Potter immediately bestowed upon the girl who's boots he wasn't worthy of polishing, but at least her remarks made the idiot Gryffindor shut up. He failed to realize that he too had begun staring at Lily sappily as his thoughts continued. She had agreed with him, and called him Severus instead of Snape!

**"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? **

"See," Black began, shutting up immediately as Lily glared at him before reading on.

**But come on - I'll be no help if they come back, I've never so much as transfigured a teabag."**

**She stooped down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her wizened hands and tugged.**

**"Get up, you useless lump, get up!"**

An apt description for Petunia's unfortunate progeny, Severus thought to himself.

**But Dudley either could not or would not move. He remained on the ground, trembling and ashen-faced, his mouth shut very tight.**

"**I'll do it." Harry took hold of Dudley's arm and heaved. With an enormous effort he managed to hoist him to his feet. **

Severus was a bit surprised that Potter's son could lift the young whale. The previous chapter had made it sound as though the unfortunate kid took after his father, who had always been rather scrawny and undersized.

A few other people in the room looked surprised as well, but they wisely kept silent, not wanting to incur the wrath of their Head Girl.

**Dudley seemed to be on the point of fainting. His small eyes were rolling in their sockets and sweat was beading his face; the moment Harry let go of him he swayed dangerously.**

"**Hurry up!" said Mrs. Figg hysterically.**

"He can't hurry up," Black remarked scathingly. He's dragging a whale behind him, for Merlin's sake."

Severus just sighed this time. Would no one just shut up?

**Harry pulled one of Dudley's massive arms around his own shoulders and dragged him towards the road, sagging slightly under the weight.**

**Mrs. Figg tottered along in front of them, peering anxiously around the corner.**

"**Keep your wand out," she told Harry, as they entered Wisteria Walk. "Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, there's going to be hell to pay anyway, **

"But he should be okay. There's provisions in the Statute of Secrecy for life threatening situations!" This time, shockingly enough, it was Lily who interrupted herself. As such, Severus did not mind this interruption.

There was a general murmur of agreement and musings at this statement, and Lily continued reading, after a pause in which Severus knew her clever mind was working over the problem.

**we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery… this was exactly what Dumbledore was afraid of**

"Why were you afraid of this, Sir?" Potter asked the Headmaster.

Severus snorted as the Headmaster spoke, voicing the same thoughts that had been going through Severus's own head. "I do not know, Mr. Potter, since these events have not yet occurred, but perhaps if you let Ms. Evans continue to read, the matter will clear itself up." The Headmaster's eyes twinkled in that infuriating way of his, and Potter's ears turned red in embarrassment.

"Right," he muttered. Severus smirked vindictively as he noticed that Lily was also grinning just a little at her fellow Gryffindor's embarrassment.

**- What's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr. Prentice… don't put your wand away, boy, don't I keep telling you I'm no use?"**

**It was not easy to hold a wand steady and haul Dudley along at the same time. Harry gave his cousin an impatient dig in the ribs, but Dudley seemed to have lost all desire for independent movement. He was slumped on Harry's shoulder, his large feet dragging along the ground.**

"**Why didn't you tell me you're a Squib, Mrs. Figg?" asked Harry, panting with the effort to keep walking. "All those times I came round your house - why didn't you say anything?"**

Severus wondered the same thing, and from the looks of people's faces, many of them were wondering about this matter as well.

"**Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you but not say anything, you were too young. I'm sorry I gave you such a miserable time, Harry, but the Dursleys would never have let you come if they'd thought you enjoyed it. **

Lily let out a growl that made most people in the room look at her in a bit of fear, in spite of their own obvious anger at the treatment of the younger Potter. Severus merely smiled a little. He missed everything about being friends with Lily, even the frankly terrifying temper she sometime had when angered.

As she continued reading, her voice still bearing a hint of anger, Severus let his own anger rise. Petunia would have a lot to answer to for treating Lily's son the way she did. By the time the so-called marauders got to her, they would be lucky to have a body to work with.

**It wasn't easy, you know… but oh my word," she said tragically, wringing her hands once more, "when Dumbledore hears about this - how could Mundungus have left, he was supposed to be on duty until midnight - where is he? How am I going to tell Dumbledore what's happened? I can't Apparate."**

"**I've got an owl, you can borrow her." Harry groaned, wondering whether his spine was going to snap under Dudley's weight.**

"**Harry, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible, the Ministry have their own ways of detecting underage magic, they'll know already, you mark my words."**

Lily's voice grew more and more worried as she read, and Severus wished he could comfort her and promise her that things would be okay. Once upon a time, she had gone to him with all her questions and concerns, and they had been the best of friends. Now, because of the idiot mistake he'd made in his fifth year, she sat cuddled close to that Gryffindor monster, Potter, and it was he who put his arms around Lily and held her close.

"**But I was getting rid of Dementors, I had to use magic - they're going to be more worried about what Dementors were doing floating around Wisteria Walk, surely?"**

"That's true," Lupin broke in, "they really should be more worried about that, and I'm sure they will realize that Harry had to do magic."

"**Oh, my dear, I wish it were so, but I'm afraid - MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"**

Lily yelled the last line, sounding every bit as vengeful as they were sure Mrs. Figg sounded in the book.

**There was a loud crack and a strong smell of drink mingled with stale tobacco filled the air as a squat, unshaven man in a tattered overcoat materialized right in front of them. He had short, bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair and bloodshot, baggy eyes that gave him the doleful look of a basset hound. **

"Lovely description your son gives," Black joked. Potter laughed along, unsurprisingly.

Severus scoffed. There was hardly room for joking in this hideous book, but of course Potter, with his limited intellect, could be distracted from anything by the oafish jests from his sidekick.

**He was also clutching a silvery bundle that Harry recognized at once as an Invisibility Cloak.**

Severus did not miss the looks that passed between Lupin, Black, and Potter. His eyes narrowed. He had suspected for some time now that the three (or four, if you counted Pettigrew) had some way of getting around the school undetected, and one of his current theories was an invisibility cloak. He would have known, from Regulus, if the Black family had one of those, but the Potters were also rich enough to obtain one, he supposed. Judging from the horrible way their son had turned out, it was not a great leap to suppose they would also be foolish enough to give such a rare and valuable thing to a child.

"**S'up, Figgy?" he said, staring from Mrs. Figg to Harry and Dudley. "What 'appened to staying undercover?"**

"**I'll give you undercover!" cried Mrs. Figg. "Dementors, you useless, skiving sneak thief!"**

"**Dementors?" repeated Mundungus, aghast. "Dementors, 'ere?"**

"**Yes, here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!" shrieked Mrs. Figg. "Dementors attacking the boy on your watch!"**

Lily's voice was angry as she read this, and several of the marauders were muttering implications about Fletcher. Severus himself was rather upset that this sniveling excuse for a wizard came from his own Hogwarts House.

"**Blimey," said Mundungus weakly, looking from Mrs. Figg to Harry, and back again. "Blimey, I -"**

"**And you off buying stolen cauldrons! Didn't I tell you not to go? Didn't I!"**

Lily herself sounded rather shrieky as she read this bit.

"**I - well, I -" Mundungus looked deeply uncomfortable. "It — it was a very good business opportunity, see -"**

**Mrs. Figg raised the arm from which her string bag dangled and whacked Mundungus around the face and neck with it; judging by the clanking noise it made it was full of cat food.**

"Ewww, cats," Black muttered. Severus sneered at him. He personally thought cats were lovely creatures. They took care of themselves and did not require large amounts of love and attention. He refrained from commenting, however, for Lily's sake.

"**Ouch - gerroff - gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!"**

"**Yes - they - have!" yelled Mrs. Figg, swinging the bag of cat food at every bit of Mundungus she could reach. "And - it - had - better - be - you - and - you - can - tell - him - why - you - weren't - there - to - help!"**

Potter and Black were sniggering during this tirade. Severus could only imagine they were getting much pleasure from the pain of a former Slytherin. Sadistic gits.

"**Keep your 'airnet on!" said Mundungus, his arms over his head, cowering. "I'm going, I'm going!"**

**And with another loud crack, he vanished.**

"**I hope Dumbledore murders him!" said Mrs. Figg furiously. "Now come on, Harry, what are you waiting for?"**

"Yeah, come on Harry," Black laughed, "You're only dragging a small whale. Surely you can hurry up."

Lily huffed. "Shut up, Sirius," she said without looking up from the book, continuing her reading as though she had never been interrupted.

**Harry decided not to waste his remaining breath on pointing out that he could barely walk under Dudley's bulk. He gave the semi-conscious Dudley a heave and staggered onwards.**

"**I'll take you to the door," said Mrs. Figg, as they turned into Privet Drive. "Just in case there are more of them around… **

"What good will that do?" Potter asked the room at large. "It's not like she can do anything about them if there were more; she's already said she's a Squib."

Regulus, apparently unable to remain silent in the face of the dunderheaded Gryffindor's interruption, spoke up from his place next to Severus. "If the Ministry is actually as bent on expelling Harry as he seems to fear they will be, it will be good for him to have an eye-witness to any magic he performs in self-defense, who will be able to speak on his behalf."

Potter looked confused (a look that Severus personally found rather fitting on the other boy's face), then sneered at Regulus, about to make some sort of, probably imbecilic, retort. However, the Headmaster beat him to it.

"That was very perceptive of you, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in that disconcerting way of his. This shut Potter and his lackeys up, and they settled for glaring at at the Slytherins.

Lily merely continued reading, her voice containing a bit of frustration at being interrupted so much that Severus only picked up due to his years of friendship with the lovely girl. He knew how much she hated being interrupted while reading something, even though she did have a rather unfortunate habit of interrupting anyone else who was reading if she wanted to talk. He missed the days when she would interrupt him.

**oh my word, what a catastrophe… and you had to fight them off yourself… and Dumbledore said we were to keep you from doing magic at all costs… well, it's no good crying over spilt potion, I suppose… but the cat's among the pixies now."**

"**So," Harry panted, "Dumbledore's… been having… me followed?"**

"**Of course he has," said Mrs. Figg impatiently. "Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? **

Lily's eyes narrowed and she shot a brief glance at Kreacher's still hidden corner. Severus knew that she, and likely everyone else in the room, was wondering what exactly _did_ happen the previous June.

**Good Lord, boy, they told me you were intelligent… **

Severus snorted, and his grin widened at the irritated, "Oi!" from Potter. Lily, too, appeared disgruntled at this slight against her son, but really. What did she expect, reproducing with the git, Potter?

**right… get inside and stay there," she said, as they reached number four. "I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough."**

"**What are you going to do?" asked Harry quickly.**

"**I'm going straight home," said Mrs. Figg, staring around the dark street and shuddering. "I'll need to wait for more instructions. Just stay in the house. Goodnight."**

"**Hang on, don't go yet! I want to know -"**

"Arg, that is frustrating," Potter muttered.

"Yeah," his sidekick, Black, interjected. "I wish Harry could get his questions answered, if only so we would know what was going on as well." Lupin was nodding his head in agreement with them both.

Severus sneered and refused to admit that he was thinking the same thing.

Lily, however, glared at the two Gryffindor boys. "I'm sure we will find out if you will shut up and let me read," she said haughtily.

**But Mrs. Figg had already set off at a trot, carpet slippers flopping, string bag clanking.**

"**Wait!" Harry shouted after her. He had a million questions to ask anyone who was in contact with Dumbledore; but within seconds Mrs. Figg was swallowed by the darkness. Scowling, Harry readjusted Dudley on his shoulder and made his slow, painful way up number four's garden path.**

**The hall light was on. Harry stuck his wand back inside the waistband of his jeans, rang the bell and watched Aunt Petunia's outline grow larger and larger, oddly distorted by the rippling glass in the front door.**

"**Diddy! About time too, I was getting quite - quite -Diddy, what's the matter!"**

**Harry looked sideways at Dudley and ducked out from under his arm just in time. Dudley swayed on the spot for a moment, his face pale green… then he opened his mouth and vomited all over the doormat.**

There was a unanimous, "Ewww," from everyone in the room.

"**DIDDY! Diddy, what's the matter with you? Vernon? VERNON!"**

**Harry's uncle came galumphing out of the living room, walrus moustache blowing hither and thither as it always did when he was agitated. He hurried forwards to help Aunt Petunia negotiate a weak-kneed Dudley over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sick.**

"**He's ill, Vernon!"**

"**What is it, son? What's happened? Did Mrs. Polkiss give you something foreign for tea?"**

"**Why are you all covered in dirt, darling? Have you been lying on the ground?"**

"**Hang on - you haven't been mugged, have you, son?"**

It would have served him right if he was mugged, Severus found himself thinking, nastily. He hated muggles like Petunia, who hated magic because they couldn't have it. Her family seemed, if possible, only worse than she had been. It would serve them right if something horrible happened to one of them, and it would serve them doubly right if they were attacked by Death Eaters. Severus smiled inwardly at the thought, forgetting for the moment that he wasn't sure he wanted to follow the Dark Lord anymore, given that he would kill Lily.

**Aunt Petunia screamed.**

"**Phone the police, Vernon! Phone the police!**

"What are Plese?" Potter asked Lily.

"They're like Aurors for muggles." It was Sirius who answered, and everyone looked at him in surprise, including Severus. With an annoyed shrug, Sirius reminded everyone, "I _did _take Muggle Studies."

**Diddy, darling, speak to Mummy! What did they do to you?"**

**In all the kerfuffle nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly. He managed to slip inside just before Uncle Vernon slammed the door and, while the Dursleys made their noisy progress down the hall towards the kitchen, Harry moved carefully and quietly towards the stairs.**

Severus, to his great surprise, found himself sympathizing with Harry and hoping the boy got away without trouble. He could recall his own earlier childhood, before he'd learned to stand up for himself. The things said and done by the man he refused to call his father made him sick to think about. Even more than he hated any of the marauders, Severus Snape hated his father.

"**Who did it, son? Give us names. We'll get them, don't worry."**

"**Shh! He's trying to say something, Vernon! What is it, Diddy? Tell Mummy!"**

**Harry's foot was on the bottom-most stair when Dudley found his voice.**

"**Him."**

There was some angry muttering from the Gryffindor gang at this, but Lily read over their comments.

**Harry froze, foot on the stair, face screwed up, braced for the explosion.**

Here, Lily paused, took a breath, then read:

"**BOY! COME HERE!"**

"I swear," she said out loud before anyone else could speak, "My sister has a lot to answer for when I see her next. No one deserves to be spoken to that way, especially when they have just saved your idiot son." She was glaring at the book as though it held all the evil in the world, and Severus would have sworn that her beautiful green eyes were flashing with anger.

Potter, of course, was staring at her with an idiotically sappy look on his face. Severus wanted to strangle him.

**With a feeling of mingled dread and anger, Harry removed his foot slowly from the stair and turned to follow the Dursleys.**

**The scrupulously clean kitchen had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside. **

Severus snorted at this description. Of course Lily's sister would keep everything shiny and perfect. He had always felt a vague urge when younger to dump the foulest potion he could find all over the uptight girl's room whenever he visited Lily over summer breaks.

**Aunt Petunia was ushering Dudley into a chair; he was still very green and clammy-looking. Uncle Vernon was standing in front of the draining board, glaring at Harry through tiny, narrowed eyes.**

Again, Severus felt unwelcome twinges of sympathy for this boy who seemed to have lived through a childhood not unlike his own childhood. He did not even notice the angry mutterings of the Gryffindors as he thought about Harry.

"**What have you done to my son?" he said in a menacing growl.**

"**Nothing," said Harry, knowing perfectly well that Uncle Vernon wouldn't believe him.**

"**What did he do to you, Diddy?" Aunt Petunia said in a quavering voice, now sponging sick from the front of Dudley's leather jacket. "Was it - was it you-know-what, darling? Did he use – his thing?"**

Black and Potter both began sniggering rather loudly at this, and even Severus had to admit that Lily's sister sounded remarkably stupid.

He, however, noticed what Potter did not: Lily's voice had become incredibly sad as she read about her sister, and the obvious hate she bore. No matter how many times Severus had tried to tell her that family wasn't important if they didn't care about you, he knew that in some ways Lily still blamed herself for the rift between herself and Petunia.

**Slowly, tremulously, Dudley nodded.**

"**I didn't!" Harry said sharply, as Aunt Petunia let out a wail and Uncle Vernon raised his fists.**

There were several cries of outrage at this, and Lupin let out a growl that did full justice to the wolf inside him. Severus couldn't blame any of them. If that fat muggle laid a hand on this boy, he would have hell to pay. Without realizing it, Severus had begun thinking of the boy less and less as Potter's son, and more as just a kid who had to grow up in an abusive household, something Severus could relate to quite well.

**"I didn't do anything to him, it wasn't me, it was –"**

**But at that precise moment a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window. Narrowly missing the top of Uncle Vernon's head, it soared across the kitchen, dropped the large parchment envelope it was carrying in its beak at Harry's feet, turned gracefully, the tips of its wings just brushing the top of the fridge, then zoomed outside again and off across the garden.**

"And that will be the Ministry," Potter muttered.

"Way to state the obvious, Prongs," Black retorted.

Severus rolled his eyes at their bickering. Both of them were bloody idiots, in his opinin.

"**OWLS!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, the well-worn vein in his temple pulsing angrily as he slammed the kitchen window shut. "OWLS AGAIN! I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE OWLS IN MY HOUSE!"**

"Seeing as he's got a wizard in his house, I don't think he can avoid the owls." It was Lupin who spoke this time.

**But Harry was already ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter inside, his heart pounding somewhere in the region of his Adam's apple.**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.**

"A muggle that knows perfectly well what magic is," Lily interjected into the middle of her reading. Severus wished he could go comfort her, but instead settled for glaring at Potter. The other boy had his arm around Lily and was looking much too smug at his ability to comfort the girl who was far above his league.

**The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. **

"WHAT?"

The explosion of noise came all the Gryffindors in the room, and even the Severus was shocked. They couldn't expel the boy after one mistake, a mistake that had been performed in the presence of a muggle they should know full well already had knowledge of the magical world.

**Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.**

"Those horrible people!" Lily cried, glaring at the book in her hand. The Gryffindor idiots around seemed equally upset, but thankfully Lily did not give them a lot of time to speak, as she began reading soon after her outburst.

**As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August.**

**Hoping you are well,**

"I'm sure he's doing wonderfully," Black muttered sarcastically. Severus sneered at the boy, though a small unbiased part of himself had to admit to having thought the same thing a moment before.

**Yours sincerely,**

**Mafalda Hopkirk**

**Improper Use of Magic Office**

**Ministry of Magic**

**Harry read the letter through twice. He was only vaguely aware of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talking. Inside his head, all was icy and numb. One fact had penetrated his consciousness like a paralyzing dart. He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was all over. He was never going back.**

"No Harry! It will be okay!" Lily looked at Dumbledore, begging, "You'll set things right, won't you sir?"

The Headmaster looked troubled, but he nodded to Lily. "I will certainly do my best to insure that your son does not get expelled for this."

**He looked up at the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon was purple-faced, shouting, his fists still raised; Aunt Petunia had her arms around Dudley, who was retching again. Harry's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. There was only one thing for it. He would have to run - now. **

"That would be an idiotic thing to do," Regulus said. At the glares of the Gryffindors, he clarified his statement. "If Dumbledore's trying to sort things out, the best thing to do would be to remain where he is. If he runs, it will only make him look guilty."

The Gryffindors still looked mutinous, but Severus agreed with his housemate. The foolish boy would only make this mess worse if he ran away from it.

Lily, on the other hand, glared at the corner where Kreacher was still hiding. "He better make it out of this," she said in her dangerously calm voice. Kreacher meeped.

**Where he was going to go, Harry didn't know, but he was certain of one thing: at Hogwarts or outside it, he needed his wand. In an almost dream like state, he pulled his wand out and turned to leave the kitchen.**

"**Where d'you think you're going?" yelled Uncle Vernon. When Harry didn't reply, he pounded across the kitchen to block the doorway into the hall. "I haven't finished with you, boy!"**

"**Get out of the way," said Harry quietly.**

"**You're going to stay here and explain how my son-"**

"He doesn't have to explain anything to an idiot like you," Severus spat.

Silence greeted this statement, and Severus realized that Black had said the exact same thing at the exact same time. He glared at the Gryffindor, who was glaring back.

Lily actually laughed. "You two do remind me of each other, sometimes," she said, to the horror of Severus. "Who knows, maybe the reason you're both here is because in the future you will actually become friends."

Judging by the look on Black's and Potter's faces, they found this idea just as revolting as Severus did. How Lily could think that he would _ever_ be friends with his tormentors was beyond him.

He failed to notice that Lupin looked thoughtful rather than appropriately disgusted at this idea.

"**If you don't get out of the way I'm going to jinx you," said Harry, raising the wand.**

"**You can't pull that one on me!" snarled Uncle Vernon. "I know you're not allowed to use it outside that madhouse you call a school!"**

"**The madhouse has chucked me out," said Harry. "So I can do whatever I like. You've got three seconds. One - two -"**

The boy was being an idiot, but Lily was reading too fast for anyone to break in and comment. Severus knew she was desperate to know what was going to happen.

**A resounding CRACK filled the kitchen. Aunt Petunia screamed, 'Hide!' Uncle Vernon yelled and ducked,** **but for the third time that night Harry was searching for the source of a disturbance he had not made. He spotted it at once: a dazed and ruffled-looking barn owl was sitting outside on the kitchen sill, having just collided with the closed window.**

"Hooray!" Potter and Black yelled together. "Professor Dumbledore's probably sorting things out."

Severus refused to admit that he was hoping for the exact same thing.

**Ignoring Uncle Vernon's anguished yell of 'OWLS!' Harry crossed the room at a run and wrenched the window open. The owl stuck out its leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied, shook its leathers, and took off the moment Harry had taken the letter. Hands shaking, Harry unfurled the second message, which was written very hastily and blotchily in black ink.**

**Harry —**

**Dumbledore's just arrived at the Ministry and he's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND.**

**Arthur Weasley**

"Arthur Weasley?" Black looked confused. "Where have I heard that name before?"

Surprisingly, it was Regulus who answered. "I think that's the ministry bloke mum's was ranting about all summer. He's got a soft spot for muggles and keeps trying to get all sorts of pro-muggle laws passed."

Black smiled. "Well, if mum hates him, he sounds like a great person for Prongslet to know."

Lily, of course, was far more pragmatic than Black. "Thank Merlin you're there, Professor," she said to Dumbledore. "And I don't care who does or doesn't like this Arthur Weasley, I'm just glad he's telling my stupid kid not to be an idiot. I suppose this is what I get for reproducing with James."

Severus smirked as Potter looked highly offended. He completely missed the fond smile Lily gave Potter when she spoke.

**Dumbledore was trying to sort it all out… what did that mean? How much power did Dumbledore have to override the Ministry of Magic? **

"Lots!"

**Was there a chance that he might be allowed back to Hogwarts, then? A small shoot of hope burgeoned in Harry's chest, almost immediately strangled by panic - how was he supposed to refuse to surrender his wand without doing magic? He'd have to duel with the Ministry representatives, and if he did that, he'd be lucky to escape Azkaban, let alone expulsion.**

"Sorry Prongs," Black interrupted. "I think poor Prongslet has inherited your inability to think under stress."

Potter threw a couch cushion at his friend, and Lily raised her voice to read over their bickering.

**His mind was racing… he could run for it and risk being captured by the Ministry, or stay put and wait for them to find him here. He was much more tempted by the former course, but he knew Mr. Weasley had his best interests at heart… and after all, Dumbledore had sorted out much worse than this before.**

Lily glanced over at Kreacher's corner. "We are going to learn about these instances, right?" she asked. Kreacher nodded his head, his large ears flapping, and Lily nodded. "Good."

"**Right," Harry said, "I've changed my mind, I'm staying." He flung himself down at the kitchen table and faced Dudley and Aunt Petunia.**

Severus sniggered quietly. That would certainly have confused Lily's dratted sister.

A moment later he realized that Regulus was giving him an odd look, and he stopped.

**The Dursleys appeared taken aback at his abrupt change of mind. Aunt Petunia glanced despairingly at Uncle Vernon. The vein in his purple temple was throbbing worse than ever.**

"**Who are all these ruddy owls from?" he growled.**

"**The first one was from the Ministry of Magic, expelling me," said Harry calmly. He was straining his ears to catch any noises outside, in case the Ministry representatives were approaching, and it was easier and quieter to answer Uncle Vernon's questions than to have him start raging and bellowing. "The second one was from my friend Ron's dad, who works at the Ministry."**

"**Ministry of Magic?" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "People like you in government! Oh, this explains everything, everything, no wonder the country's going to the dogs."**

Everyone made some sort of outraged comment at that, but Severus found Black's comment to be the strangest one. The boy had yelled out something about being nice to dogs, an odd comment under the circumstances.

**When Harry did not respond, Uncle Vernon glared at him, then spat out, "And why have you been expelled?"**

"**Because I did magic."**

"**AHA!" roared Uncle Vernon, slamming his fist down on top of the fridge, which sprang open; several of Dudley's low-fat snacks toppled out and burst on the floor. "So you admit it! What did you do to Dudley?"**

"Will he actually listen if Harry explains?" Lupin asked.

Several people, Severus included responded with a simultaneous, "Nope."

"**Nothing," said Harry, slightly less calmly. "That wasn't me -"**

"**Was," muttered Dudley unexpectedly, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia instantly made flapping gestures at Harry to quieted him while they both bent low over Dudley.**

"**Go on, son," said Uncle Vernon, "what did he do?"**

"**Tell us, darling," whispered Aunt Petunia.**

"Yes," Black drawled, looking disgusted, "listen to the one with the IQ of a teaspoon."

"**Pointed his wand at me," Dudley mumbled.**

"**Yeah, I did, but I didn't use -" Harry began angrily, but –**

"**SHUT UP!" roared Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia in unison.**

Several growls could be heard throughout the room. Severus wanted to curse them both. No parent should ever yell such a thing at a child.

"**Go on, son," repeated Uncle Vernon, moustache blowing about furiously.**

"**All went dark," Dudley said hoarsely, shuddering. "Everything dark. And then I h-heard… things. Inside m-my head."**

Severus noticed that Regulus seemed to be shivering next to him. He could hardly give his Slytherin friend a hug, but he did try to catch Regulus's eyes, and when he did he put as much understanding in them as he could. He knew the younger Slytherin hated Dementors with a passion. Regulus seemed to understand, and he nodded, his shivering lessened just a bit.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged looks of utter horror. If their least favorite thing in the world was magic – **

Severus snarled softly.

**closely followed by neighbors who cheated more than they did on the hosepipe ban - people who heard voices were definitely in the bottom ten. They obviously thought Dudley was losing his mind.**

"You mean he had one to begin with?" Black said in a tone of great shock.

To his own surprise, Severus almost found himself laughing at the joke. Thankfully, he caught himself before he could do such a disgraceful thing.

"**What sort of things did you hear, Popkin?" breathed Aunt Petunia, very white-faced and with tears in her eyes.**

**But Dudley seemed incapable of saying. He shuddered again and shook his large blond head, and despite the sense of numb dread that had settled on Harry since the arrival of the first owl, he felt a certain curiosity. Dementors caused a person to relive the worst moments of their life. What would spoiled, pampered, bullying Dudley have been forced to hear?**

"**How come you fell over, son?" said Uncle Vernon, in an unnaturally quiet voice, the kind of voice he might adopt at the bedside of a very ill person.**

"**T-tripped," said Dudley shakily. "And then –"**

**He gestured at his massive chest. Harry understood. Dudley was remembering the clammy cold that filled the lungs as hope and happiness were sucked out of you.**

Severus noticed that Regulus was shaking again, but as he was not feeling much better at the thought of Dementors, he merely moved closer to his housemate and hoped the younger boy would remember he was not alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Regulus's brother also seemed to be having a rough time at this description. He fined the knowledge away in his mind for later.

"**Horrible," croaked Dudley. "Cold. Really cold."**

"**Okay," said Uncle Vernon, in a voice of forced calm, while Aunt Petunia laid an anxious hand on Dudley's forehead to feel his temperature. "What happened then, Dudders?"**

"**Felt… felt… felt… as if… as if…**

"**As if you'd never be happy again," Harry supplied dully.**

Lily's voice trembled as she read this. Severus knew that his friend was feeling sorry for Harry's cousin, in spite of the fact that earlier she had seemed ready to kill him. Not for the first time, Severus hated himself for losing Lily. Most people thought that it was impossible to lose the trust and love of the Gryffindor Head Girl once one had it, but Severus knew differently.

He hated that he knew differently.

"**Yes," Dudley whispered, still trembling.**

"**So!" said Uncle Vernon, voice restored to full and considerable volume as he straightened up.**

"**You put some crackpot spell on my son so he'd hear voices and believe he was - was doomed to misery, or something, did you?"**

"**How many times do I have to tell you?" said Harry, temper and voice both rising. "It wasn't me! It was a couple of Dementors!"**

"**A couple of - what's this codswallop?"**

"**De - men - tors," said Harry slowly and clearly. "Two of them."**

"**And what the ruddy hell are Dementors?"**

"**They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban," said Aunt Petunia.**

Lily nearly dropped the book, and Severus did not blame her. He never would have imagined that Lily's sister would remember anything from those conversations she had listened in on.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Severus knew that Lily was thinking of the same day that he was, a day when they had still been friends and she had gone to him for comfort against her childhood fears. The moment passed quickly, however, and Lily resumed reading before anyone could say anything.

**Two seconds of ringing silence followed these words before Aunt Petunia clapped her hand over her mouth as though she had let slip a disgusting swear word. **

"Your sister's weird, Lily-flower," Potter said. Severus glared. He hated that nickname.

Lily sighed, however. "Yeah. Tuney has always been jealous of magic. I hoped that maybe she would grow out of it…" Her voice trailed off, and Potter, in a rare moment of tactfulness, put his arm around her and merely hugged the beautiful girl. Severus wished that he could be in Potter's place so fiercely it was like a physical ache in his chest.

He kept his thoughts to himself, however. How could he say anything, in this room full of his enemies?

**Uncle Vernon was goggling at her.**

**Harry's brain reeled. Mrs. Figg was one thing - but Aunt Petunia?**

Again, Severus could not help but notice how distressed Lily was at this blatant reminder that her sister had done her best to forget all about the world to which Lily belonged, and he desperately wished that he could hold her and tell her that things would be okay. He could take care of her sister for her.

In a small part of his heart, Severus knew that Lily would not truly want her sister "taken care of," however. At least, not in Severus's way.

"**How d'you know that?" he asked her, astonished.**

**Aunt Petunia looked quite appalled with herself. She glanced at Uncle Vernon in fearful apology, then lowered her hand slightly to reveal her horsy teeth.**

"**I heard - that awful boy – telling her about them - years ago," she said jerkily.**

Severus snorted quietly. He thought it was rather rich of her to call _him_ awful.

"**If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" said Harry loudly, but Aunt Petunia ignored him. She seemed horribly flustered.**

Lily sniffed sadly. "It wasn't James." She spoke softly, but Severus still heard her and was briefly glad that she was remembering their long ago friendship. Potter, however, looked confused.

"Who told you about Dementors?" he asked.

Lily looked at him, smirking in a suddenly rather ominous manner. "Sev told me," she said, and Potter's mouth dropped open.

Severus did not see his glare, however, as he was too busy doing a little dance in his head. She had called him Sev, her old nickname for him when they were friends! Neither boy noticed the twinkling in the Headmaster's eyes as he took in the scene. Lily merely went back to her reading.

**Harry was stunned. Except for one outburst years ago, in the course of which Aunt Petunia had screamed that Harry's mother had been a freak, **

"Lily is _not_ a freak!" Severus shouted, nearly spitting the words in anger.

A moment later, he realized that everyone was staring between him and Potter.

"You realize you and Potter just said the exact same thing in unison?" Regulus asked from beside him. "It was a little creepy, to be honest."

Severus gaped at him, then turned his gaze to Potter across the room. Potter seemed just as confused as he felt, but Lily was smiling as she looked between them. Severus decided that there were worse things one could do in tandem with James Potter than defending Lily Evans.

**he had never heard her mention her sister. He was astounded that she had remembered this scrap of information about the magical world for so long, when she usually put all her energies into pretending it didn't exist.**

Lily made a disparaging sound at this. "I'm sure she remembers quite a few things she overheard during all the time she spent spying." Severus had to agree with Lily's comment. It was unlikely the girl he remembered had actually managed to forget about the magical world.

**Uncle Vernon opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it once more, shut it, then, apparently struggling to remember how to talk, opened it for a third time and croaked, "So - so - they - er - they - er - they actually exist, do they - er - Dementy-whatsits?"**

Potter and Black both snorted, and Lupin grinned.

Severus himself had a hard time believing this man's stupidity. He had just heard the name not five minutes previously, for Merlin's sake!

**Aunt Petunia nodded.**

**Uncle Vernon looked from Aunt Petunia to Dudley to Harry as if hoping somebody was going to shout 'April Fool!' When nobody did, he opened his mouth yet again, but was spared the struggle to find more words by the arrival of the third owl of the evening. It zoomed through the still-open window like a feathery cannon-ball and landed with a clatter on the kitchen table, causing all three of the Dursleys to jump with fright. Harry tore a second official-looking envelope from the owls beak and ripped it open as the owl swooped back out into the night.**

Everyone leaned in close to Lily, hoping this letter would finally contain some good news.

"**Enough - effing - owls," muttered Uncle Vernon distractedly, stomping over to the window and slamming it shut again.**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on the twelfth of August, at which time an official decision will be taken.**

"A hearing is better than expulsion, I suppose," Black said with a sad attempt at a grin. Potter grinned back just as emptily.

"Yeah, at least he has a chance to explain himself."

To his surprise, Severus found that he was also worried about the fate of his enemy's son. Still, the boy had a perfectly legitimate reason to perform magic, and surely the hearing would go just fine.

**Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further enquiries.**

**With best wishes,**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Mafalda Hopkirk**

**Improper Use of Magic Office**

**Ministry of Magic**

**Harry read this letter through three times in quick succession. The miserable knot in his chest loosened slightly with the relief of knowing he was not yet definitely expelled, though his fears were by no means banished. Everything seemed to hang on this hearing on the twelfth of August.**

"It'll be fine, Harry," Potter said to the book.

Severus sneered at him. "You're talking to a book, Potter." The Gryffindor boy didn't even look up.

"**Well?" said Uncle Vernon, recalling Harry to his surroundings. "What now? Have they sentenced you to anything? Do your lot have the death penalty?" he added as a hopeful afterthought.**

"That horrible man!" several people cried at once. Severus had to agree. Who would hope for a child to be sentenced to death? It was utterly barbaric. Obviously, this was just another sign that muggles didn't deserve to live.

A little voice in the back of his head reminded him of the way that Lily's parents had always been happy to have him over, and had always seemed to love and support Lily a great deal. _They aren't evil people,_ the voice whispered treacherously in his head.

"**I've got to go to a hearing," said Harry.**

"**And they'll sentence you there?"**

"**I suppose so."**

"**I won't give up hope, then," said Uncle Vernon nastily.**

Lupin actually growled. "If that man ever hurts your son, Prongs, I will make sure he gets what he deserves." The werewolf had a steel hard glint in his yellow eyes, and his voice rasped like rusted nails sliding against each other. Severus was a little bit terrified of the other boy in that moment, but Potter actually moved closer to his friend and gave the boy a hug.

"Thanks, Moony," Potter said with a small, reassuring smile. Black sat beside the two and looked just as angry at the muggle's words. He, however, remained silent.

Severus, watching the three Gryffindors, found himself wondering for the first time about the lives of the boys across from him.

"**Well, if that's all," said Harry, getting to his feet. He was desperate to be alone, to think, perhaps to send a letter to Ron, Hermione or Sirius.**

Black perked up at the sound of his name, reminding Severus of a dog in his eagerness.

"**NO, IT RUDDY WELL IS NOT ALL!" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "SIT BACK DOWN!"**

Everyone growled at the man in the book.

"**What now?" said Harry impatiently.**

"**DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon. "I want to know exactly what happened to my son!"**

"The idiot nearly got his soul sucked out by a Dementor and Harry saved his worthless hide," Black told the book, snidely.

Though Severus would never admit it, the exact same sentence had just gone through his own mind.

"**FINE!" yelled Harry, and in his temper, red and gold sparks shot out of the end of his wand, still clutched in his hand. **

"Hooray! He's a Gryffindor!" Lily and Severus both looked at Potter with raised eyebrows.

"Really, James?" Lily asked disparagingly. "Do you really think this is the time to be cheering about what House he's in?"

Potter lowered his head meekly, and Severus smirked.

**All three Dursleys flinched, looking terrified.**

"**Dudley and I were in the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk," said Harry, speaking fast, fighting to control his temper. "Dudley thought he'd be smart with me, I pulled out my wand but didn't use it. Then two Dementors turned up —"**

"**But what ARE Dementoids?" **

A fresh wave of giggles broke out between the Gryffindor boys.

"We should definitely start calling them that!" Black and Potter likely would have kept talking, but Lily raised her voice and read over them. Still, Severus noticed a little twitch to her lips that he knew meant she was fighting back a smile of her own.

**asked Uncle Vernon furiously. "What do they DO?"**

"**I told you - they suck all the happiness out of you," said Harry, "and if they get the chance, they kiss you -**

"**Kiss you?" said Uncle Vernon, his eyes popping slightly. "Kiss you?"**

Everyone shuddered at the thought of a Dementor's kiss, and Severus moved closer to Regulus to show solidarity towards his shivering housemate. He noticed that Potter and Lupin seemed to be giving a shivering Black a similar show of support, and for a moment actually thought well of his greatest rival.

"**It's what they call it when they suck the soul out of your mouth."**

**Aunt Petunia uttered a soft scream.**

"**His soul? They didn't take - he's still got his -"**

"Not even your sister's kid deserves that, Evans," Black muttered, and even Severus found himself nodding in agreement.

**She seized Dudley by the shoulders and shook him, as though testing to see whether she could hear his soul rattling around inside him.**

"**Of course they didn't get his soul, you'd know if they had," said Harry, exasperated.**

"**Fought 'em off, did you, son?" said Uncle Vernon loudly, with the appearance of a man struggling to bring the conversation back on to a plane he understood. "Gave 'em the old one-two, did you?"**

Black snorted, and Severus could not blame him. One hardly got into fistfights with a _Dementor_ if one wished to live.

"**You can't give a Dementor the old one-two," said Harry through clenched teeth.**

"**Why's he all right, then?" blustered Uncle Vernon. "Why isn't he all empty, then?"**

"**Because I used the Patronus -"**

**WHOOSH. With a clattering, a whirring of wings and a soft fall of dust, a fourth owl came shooting out of the kitchen fireplace.**

"Please be good news please be good news please be good news-" Potter and Black's chant was abruptly cut off as Lily threw a cushion at them.

With a long-suffering sigh that Severus recognized as her one of her prime guilting weapons, the beautiful redhead told the two boys, "We won't find out anything until you two shut up."

"**FOR GOD'S SAKE!" roared Uncle Vernon, pulling great clumps of hair out of his moustache, something he hadn't been driven to do in a long time. "I WILL NOT HAVE OWLS HERE, I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS, I TELL YOU!"**

**But Harry was already pulling a roll of parchment from the owl's leg. He was so convinced that this letter had to be from Dumbledore, explaining everything - the Dementors, Mrs. Figg, what the Ministry was up to, how he, Dumbledore, intended to sort everything out - that for the first time in his life he was disappointed to see Sirius's handwriting. **

Severus laughed as Black let out an offended, "Hey!"

Before Severus could say anything, however, Lily beat him to it. "Finally my son seems to be showing a bit of sense." Black stared at her with a wounded expression that worsened when Lily continued, "after all, who wants to hear from Sirius Black in an emergency?"

Severus was gleeful, and he couldn't stop a happy smile from stretching across his face.

**Ignoring Uncle Vernon's on going rant about owls, and narrowing his eyes against a second cloud of dust as the most recent owl look off back up the chimney, Harry read Sirius's message.**

_**Arthur's just told us what's happened. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do.**_

"See," Lily said smugly. "That was about the most useless letter he's had so far." She stuck out her tongue at Black, who looked incredibly wounded. Severus knew the look was nothing more than an act, of course. Black did not truly care about anyone but himself.

Potter, of course, opened his mouth to defend his lackey, but Lily ignored them both and kept reading.

**Harry found this such an inadequate response to everything that had happened tonight that he turned the piece of parchment over, looking for the rest of the letter, but there was nothing else. And now his temper was rising again. Wasn't anybody going to say 'well done' for fighting off two Dementors single-handed? Both Mr. Weasley and Sirius were acting as though he'd misbehaved, and were saving their tellings-off until they could ascertain how much damage had been done.**

_And there's the arrogant Potter spawn I knew was buried in there somewhere,_ Severus thought, scowling at this obvious proof that the boy was really nothing more than the spoiled bully his father had been.

"…**A peck, I mean, pack of owls shooting in and out of my house. I won't have it, boy, I won't-"**

"**I can't stop the owls coming," Harry snapped, crushing Sirius's letter in his fist.**

"**I want the truth about what happened tonight!" barked Uncle Vernon. "If it was Demenders **

The Gryffindors snorted again. Severus merely rolled his eyes. This man was a complete and utter moron.

**who hurt Dudley, how come you've been expelled? You did you-know-what, you've admitted it!"**

**Harry took a deep, steadying breath. His head was beginning to ache again. He wanted more than anything to get out of the kitchen, and away from the Dursleys.**

"**I did the Patronus Charm to get rid of the Dementors," he said, forcing himself to remain calm.**

"**But what were Dementoids doing in Little Whinging?" said Uncle Vernon in an outraged tone.**

_Honestly,_ Severus thought as a fresh wave of giggles broke over the Gryffindors, _he can't even get the same name twice in a row!_

"**Couldn't tell you," said Harry wearily. "No idea."**

**His head was pounding in the glare of the strip-lighting now. His anger was ebbing away. He felt drained, exhausted. The Dursleys were all staring at him.**

"**It's you," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "It's got something to do with you, boy, I know it. Why else would they turn up here? Why else would they be down that alleyway? You've got to be the only - the only -" Evidently, he couldn't bring himself to say the word 'wizard' "the only you know-what for miles."**

This speech brought the lions back down from their laughter, and even Severus was seething just a bit at this man who thought he had the right to say such things to Lily's son.

_And there's the boy who's home life was just like yours,_ a treacherous voice chimed in at the back of his mind.

"**I don't know why they were here."**

**But at Uncle Vernon's words, Harry's exhausted brain had ground back into action. Why had the Dementors come to Little Whinging? How could it be coincidence that they had arrived in the alleyway where Harry was? Had they been sent? Had the Ministry of Magic lost control of the Dementors? Had they deserted Azkaban and joined **

Lily gulped, before sitting up with determination and saying,

**Voldemort, **

Severus noticed that the Headmaster's eyes had begun to twinkle at Lily's use of the Dark Lord's name.

**as Dumbledore had predicted they would?**

Everyone shuddered at this; even Dumbledore looked grave, now. If the Dementors joined the Dark Lord, this war would get very nasty very quickly. To his surprise, Severus realized that he really did not want the Dark Lord to have the advantage of a Dementor army.

"**These Demembers guard some weirdo's prison?" asked Uncle Vernon, lumbering along in the wake of Harry's train of thought.**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

Severus suddenly had the unpleasant feeling that he knew where this was going. Judging by the sharpness that began to creep into Lily's voice, she was thinking the same thing.

**If only his head would stop hurting, if only he could just leave the kitchen and get to his dark bedroom and think…**

"**Oho! They were coming to arrest you!" said Uncle Vernon, with the triumphant air of a man reaching an unassailable conclusion. "That's it, isn't it, boy? You're on the run from the law!"**

And he was right.

"Of course he's not!" Lily exclaimed angrily.

Potter patted her on the back and made soothing noises.

"**Of course I'm not," said Harry, shaking his head as though to scare off a fly, his mind racing now.**

"**Then why -?"**

"**He must have sent them," said Harry quietly, more to himself than to Uncle Vernon.**

"**What's that? Who must have sent them?"**

"**Lord Voldemort," said Harry.**

Again, people shuddered at the idea of Dementors defecting to the terrifying dark wizard.

**He registered dimly how strange it was that the Dursleys, who flinched, winced and squawked if they heard words like 'wizard', 'magic' or 'wand', could hear the name of the most evil wizard of all time without the slightest tremor.**

Lily looked terribly sad as she read this.

"**Lord - hang on," said Uncle Vernon, his face screwed up, a look of dawning comprehension coming into his piggy eyes. "I've heard that name… that was the one who —"**

"**Murdered my parents, yes," Harry said dully.**

"**But he's gone," said Uncle Vernon impatiently, without the slightest sign that the murder of Harry's parents might be a painful topic.**

There were several growls at this, and Severus added his own voice to the disgruntled mixture of angry noises. No one had the right to be indifferent towards Lily's death.

**"That giant bloke said so. He's gone."**

"**He's back," said Harry heavily.**

**It felt very strange to be standing here in Aunt Petunia's surgically clean kitchen, beside the top of-the-range fridge and the wide-screen television, talking calmly of Lord Voldemort to Uncle Vernon. The arrival of the Dementors in Little Whinging seemed to have breached the great, invisible wall that divided the relentlessly non-magical world of Privet Drive and the world beyond, Harry's two lives had somehow become fused and everything had been turned upside-down; the Dursleys were asking for details about the magical world, and Mrs. Figg knew Albus Dumbledore; Dementors were soaring around Little Whinging, and he might never return to Hogwarts. Harry's head throbbed more painfully.**

"**Back?" whispered Aunt Petunia.**

Lily, too, whispered the words as she read.

"You know, Professor," Potter suddenly spoke, looking at the Headmaster. "It really is kind of unfair that muggles can never be even a small part of our world. Like, if a witch or wizard wanted, they could go live in the muggle world and be fine, so long as they took the time to learn about certain muggle customs first. But a muggle has no way of fitting into our world with the way it is now."

The Headmaster was listening to Potter's words with an odd look on his face, and at the boy's last words, he interrupted, asking, "What do you mean, 'the way it is now'?"

Severus, too, was curious as to Potter's point.

"Well sir," Potter replied, sounding a bit nervous, "I was just thinking, it doesn't take magic to brew potions, does it? I know that Squibs can do potions, for example."

Severus wondered what his rival was getting at, and Dumbledore seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"Indeed, they do not require magical talent to brew," the aged wizard said, a pensive look on his face.

"Well then," Potter continued, "maybe we should let muggles learn how to make them, if they want to." There was a shocked silence at the boy's words, but he spoke more quickly, not allowing anyone to break in. "Not all muggles, of course, only those who know about magic because they have magical relatives. But I was just thinking that if we let interested muggles find a place in our world, maybe it would stop some of the family divides like what happened between Lily and her sister. Maybe if they see that we aren't outright rejecting them, basically telling them that they aren't and never will be good enough to join a world that contains something most muggle children dream about when young, they won't allow jealousy and anger to direct their feelings towards their kin."

Everyone was staring at Potter in shock as he wound down, including Severus. The Headmaster, however, had a full blown twinkle in his eyes, Severus realized when he glanced at the man.

"My dear Mr. Potter, how did you ever become so wise?" the Headmaster asked, and Potter blushed. "I do believe that most pureblood wizards would never think of such a thing. I'll admit the idea had never crossed my own mind." Potter, the arrogant git, beamed. "It would be a difficult thing to get other wizards to accept, but I do indeed think that such measures might go a long way towards mending some of the gaps that arise between wizarding children and their families."

Severus snorted. "Difficult" was an understatement. No one would ever go for such a thing. Before he could voice his thoughts out load, however, Lily spoke in a quiet voice.

"Tuney would have been thrilled to be able to learn anything about magic," Lily sniffed. "I bet she would have wanted to learn about Potions the most, too, even if she was a witch. She always did like cooking and making things."

Though he didn't want to admit it, Severus knew that Lily had a good point; still, the idea of muggles in the magical world was preposterous. It would never work.

Dumbledore seemed to sense that an argument was brewing, and smiled kindly at Lily, saying, "Perhaps, once we have finished these books, we shall see about making your sister one of the first muggles to be properly introduced to the wizarding world. In the mean time, we do still have a dark wizard to defeat, and I believe it would be prudent to finish the book."

Lily looked at him with painful hope shining in her eyes before she began reading again, and Severus knew that she was thinking of her sister being able to accept her and care about her again.

Everyone went back to paying attention to the book, and Severus hoped this mad conversation would be forgotten eventually.

**She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before. And all of a sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister. He could not have said why this hit him so very powerfully at this moment. All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. **

**Aunt Petunia had never in her life looked at him like that before. Her large, pale eyes (so unlike her sister's) were not narrowed in dislike or anger, they were wide and fearful. The furious pretence that Aunt Petunia had maintained all Harry's life - that there was no magic and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon - seemed to have fallen away.**

"**Yes," Harry said, talking directly to Aunt Petunia now. "He came back a month ago. I saw him."**

**Her hands found Dudley's massive leather-clad shoulders and clutched them.**

"**Hang on," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his wife to Harry and back again, apparently dazed and confused by the unprecedented understanding that seemed to have sprung up between them.**

"**Hang on. This Lord Voldything's back, you say."**

There was silence for a moment, then a snort. "Voldything?" Potter laughed. "Some really needs to call him that to his face." He and Black laughed, but Regulus and Severus both shuddered at the thought. Neither of them had any doubt what would happen to anyone rash enough to mock the Dark Lord to his face.

"You should volunteer, Potter," Severus drawled. "Then we would all be rid of you, and the world would be a better place.

All the Gryffindors glared at him, but it was Lily's voice that hurt. "My world wouldn't be a better place." The subsequent beaming smile on Potter's face twisted the knife even farther.

Dumbledore chose that moment to break in. "I would prefer if no one volunteered to mock him in his presence, as I happen to quite like all of my students. Perhaps we should continue reading the book."

"**Yes."**

"**The one who murdered your parents."**

"**Yes."**

"**And now he's sending Dismembers after you?"**

"**Looks like it," said Harry.**

"**I see," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his white - faced wife to Harry and hitching up his trousers. He seemed to be swelling, his great purple face stretching before Harry's eyes. "Well, that settles it," he said, his shirt front straining as he inflated himself, "you can get out of this house, boy!"**

"WHAT?" The shout was echoed by several people.

"He had better not throw my son onto the streets!" Lily yelled, glaring at a dark corner of the room. It took a moment for Severus to remember that Kreacher was hiding in said corner.

The tiny elf popped his head out of the darkness long enough to say, "If miss keeps reading, miss will be finding out what happened." Lily glowered at the corner, but did as the elf had suggested.

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**You heard me - OUT!" Uncle Vernon bellowed, and even Aunt Petunia and Dudley jumped.**

"**OUT! OUT! I should've done this years ago! Owls treating the place like a rest home, puddings exploding, half the lounge destroyed, Dudley's tail, Marge bobbing around on the ceiling and that flying Ford Anglia – **

"You do have to admit, your son's life sounds a bit ridiculous, mate," Black interjected.

Potter stuck his tongue out like the immature child he was, responding, "His life sounds _awesome,_ you mean!"

Severus merely groaned. Obviously the child was going to be just as bad as his father, no matter how much his upbringing might have reminded Severus of himself.

**OUT! OUT! You've had it! You're history! You're not staying here if some loony's after you, you're not endangering my wife and son, you're not bringing trouble down on us. If you're going the same way as your useless parents, I've had it! OUT!"**

**Harry stood rooted to the spot. The letters from the Ministry, Mr. Weasley and Sirius were all crushed in his left hand. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE.**

"He better not leave!" Lily yelled at the dark corner. Everyone else appeared to be holding their breath as well as Lily angrily continued to read.

"**You heard me!" said Uncle Vernon, bending forward now, his massive purple face coming so close to Harry's, he actually felt flecks of spit hit his face. "Get going! You were all keen to leave half an hour ago! I'm right behind you! Get out and never darken our doorstep again! Why we ever kept you in the first place, I don't know, Marge was right, it should have been the orphanage. **

**We were too damn soft for our own good, thought we could squash it out of you, thought we could turn you normal,**

Without warning, one of the logs in the fireplace exploded in a fiery burst that startled everyone. After a moment, when it became clear that no was going to own up to the act of accidental magic, Lily continued reading again.

Severus, however, noticed something odd when looking around the room. The Headmaster's face, normally calm and only ever showing hints of feelings, had twisted for a moment during the previous sentence into something ugly, angry, and then unbearably sad. He filed this information away to be examined later, sure that it had been the Headmaster who had caused the explosion.

**but you've been rotten from the beginning and I've had enough - owls!"**

**The fifth owl zoomed down the chimney so fast it actually hit the floor before zooming into the air again with a loud screech. Harry raised his hand to seize the letter, which was in a scarlet envelope, but it soared straight over his head, flying directly at Aunt Petunia, who let out a scream and ducked, her arms over her face. The owl dropped the red envelope on her head, turned, and flew straight back up the chimney.**

**Harry darted forwards to pick up the letter, but Aunt Petunia beat him to it.**

"**You can open it if you like," said Harry, "but I'll hear what it says anyway. That's a Howler."**

Severus wondered who on earth had sent Lily's sister a Howler, and from the looks of it, everyone else was wondering the same thing.

"**Let go of it, Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "Don't touch it, it could be dangerous!"**

"Like that could stop a Howler," Potter mumbled. Severus smirked briefly as he remember the incident a few years ago when Potter had received one of the dreaded red letters in the Great Hall. The boy had ignored it, and the results had not been pretty.

"**It's addressed to me," said Aunt Petunia in a shaking voice. "It's addressed to me, Vernon, look! Mrs. Petunia Dursley, The Kitchen, Number Four, Privet Drive –"**

**She caught her breath, horrified. The red envelope had begun to smoke.**

"**Open it!' Harry urged her. "Get it over with! It'll happen anyway."**

"**No."**

**Aunt Petunia's hand was trembling. She looked wildly around the kitchen as though looking for an escape route, but too late -the envelope burst into flames. Aunt Petunia screamed and dropped it. An awful voice filled the kitchen, echoing in the confined space, issuing from the burning letter on the table.**

_**Remember my last, Petunia.**_

Severus had no idea what this meant. He glanced at Regulus, and his housemate shot him a look that was just as confused as his own.

"Professor," Lily began hesitantly, "do you have any idea what that meant?"

The Headmaster, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, did not answer her. After a moment, Lily began reading again.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she might faint. She sank into the chair beside Dudley, her face in her hands. The remains of the envelope smouldered into ash in the silence.**

"**What is this?" Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. "What - I don't -Petunia?"**

**Aunt Petunia said nothing. Dudley was staring stupidly at his mother, his mouth hanging open. The silence spiraled horribly. Harry was watching his aunt, utterly bewildered, his head throbbing fit to burst.**

"**Petunia, dear?" said Uncle Vernon timidly. "P-Petunia?"**

**She raised her head. She was still trembling. She swallowed.**

"**The boy - the boy will have to stay, Vernon," she said weakly.**

"Well, I'm confused."

"When are you not confused, Black?" Severus asked in a sneering voice, but secretly he was still incredibly confused as well.

Lily interrupted, "I suppose we're probably not going to get an answer any time soon," she sighed, shooting an annoyed look at the Headmaster, " so we may as well continue reading. At least he's not being thrown out."

"**W-what?"**

"**He stays," she said. She was not looking at Harry. She got to her feet again.**

"**He… but Petunia…"**

"**If we throw him out, the neighbors will talk," she said. **

There were a few growls at this ridiculous excuse, but Severus personally thought it was fairly well thought up. Obviously, Petunia's husband bore the boy no love, and only an excuse that appealed to the oaf's selfishness would have worked. It was a surprisingly shrewd move on her part, and Severus was reminded of how good Lily's sister had been at spying when they were younger.

_She would have made a good Slytherin,_ Severus thought, before catching himself in horror. _I did _not_ just think that about a _muggle. He decided that he would just stop thinking about the matter all together, and went back to listening to Lily read.

**She was rapidly regaining her usual brisk, snappish manner, though she was still very pale. "They'll ask awkward questions, they'll want to know where he's gone. We'll have to keep him."**

**Uncle Vernon was deflating like an old tire.**

"**But Petunia, dear –"**

**Aunt Petunia ignored him. She turned to Harry. "You're to stay in your room," she said. "You're not to leave the house. Now get to bed."**

**Harry didn't move.**

"**Who was that Howler from?"**

"**Don't ask questions," Aunt Petunia snapped.**

"**Are you in touch with wizards?"**

"**I told you to get to bed!"**

"**What did it mean? Remember the last what?"**

"**Go to bed!"**

"**How come -?"**

"**YOU HEARD YOUR AUNT, NOW GET TO BED!" **

Lily put the book down. "That was the end of the chapter," she told the rest of the room. Potter volunteered to read next, and Lily passed him the book. Everyone, Severus included, was very much hoping that all these mysteries that were popping up would be solved soon.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: **_I've put several comments about the story on my profile page. If you have any questions, I encourage you to look there first, though I will be happy to answer any other questions you have if you put them in your reviews.

I also want to say thank you to my reviewers! You guys are amazing! It makes me ridiculously happy to know that people are enjoying my story.

Lastly, I'm really sorry about how long this chapter took. All I can say is that I've been very busy with real life. I started this when I had an unexpected bout of free time in college, and then business took over again. Recently, I've graduated, and now I am employed (hooray!). I will try to update more quickly this year than I have previously, though I plan to go to grad school in the future, which will probably slow down updates again. However, I am not abandoning this story. I will continue, and I will finish.

* * *

**A**s James took the book from Lily, no one noticed that Remus Lupin had been sitting rather quietly throughout most of the previous chapter. The young, normally kind and tired boy was seething. It had taken all of his restraint not to curse something during the previous chapter, so instead he had remained sitting, jaw clenched and back stiff. If anyone had looked at his eyes when the chapter ended, they would have seen them blazing a fierce yellow.

Though life had always been hard on him, he still possessed a strong sense of morality. It hurt him deeply to hear about the mistreatment his best mate's son would go through simply for being different from those around him.

_Why can people not just be _decent_ to each other,_ he thought to himself. Still, he held his anger in check. If anyone knew how unfair life could be after all, it was Remus Lupin. Besides, he guiltily reminded himself, it wasn't like he ever did anything when he saw his own friends mistreating Snape.

"This chapter's called: **The Advance Guard**," James read out. Remus very much hoped that this title meant that someone was coming to get Harry. From the look on James's face, he hoped so as well.

**I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.**

"I think we'd like to know the same thing," Sirius and James said. Lily made a noise of agreement, as did the Slytherins and Remus.

**Harry copied these words on to three separate pieces of parchment the moment he reached the desk in his dark bedroom. He addressed the first to Sirius, the second to Ron and the third to Hermione.**

"Obviously I'm the most important," Sirius bragged, and Remus allowed his lips to twitch up in a brief grin. Both of his best friends could be incredibly arrogant, but Remus had grown to consider it a part of their collective charm.

Snape sneered, predictably. Remus was heartened, however, when he did not attempt to start a fight. _Perhaps this book will help us to put aside our differences and get along,_ the young werewolf thought with hope.

**His owl, Hedwig, was off hunting; her cage stood empty on the desk. Harry paced the bedroom waiting for her to come back, his head pounding, his brain too busy for sleep even though his eyes stung and itched with tiredness. His back ached from hauling Dudley home, and the two lumps on his head where the window and Dudley had hit him were throbbing painfully.**

Remus found himself wishing that the chapter title had been something more along the lines of "The Healer," since it seemed as though this poor kid obviously needed one after his ordeal.

**Up and down he paced, consumed with anger and frustration, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, casting angry looks out at the empty, star-strewn sky every time he passed the window. Dementors sent to get him, Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher tailing him in secret, then suspension from Hogwarts and a hearing at the Ministry of Magic - and still no one was telling him what was going on.**

Lily glared again at the corner where Kreacher was hiding and huffed, "We, and Harry, had better find out soon what is going on."

Remus had been feeling rather sorry for the poor elf since Lily and others had begun glaring at him and blaming him for everything, but before he could say anything, Sirius's brother spoke up.

"You do realize it's not his fault he can't say anything, Evans?" Regulus Black was glaring at Lily, who looked a bit taken aback. The Slytherin boy continued speaking, overriding any retort Lily might have come up with. "Obviously this Harry kid is going to be his master in the future, given that he calls Harry 'Master'," here the Slytherin's voice took on an unpleasant superior inflection, as though he were explaining addition to a toddler, "and as such, he can only tell us what Harry has not forbidden him to say. So if you want to be angry with anyone, be angry with yourself and Potter for producing a child that would decide to tell us about the future in this ridiculous manner."

Lily looked sheepish, but Remus could see that James was seething. He knew his friend was about to go on one of his infamous impassioned rants about the ultimate perfection of Lily Evans and her complete inability to do wrong, so he was thankful that Lily beat him to speaking. "You're right, Black," she said, to the surprise of Sirius and James. Remus, knowing that Lily was a lot more sensible than his best friends, was less shocked as she turned to Kreacher and continued speaking.

"I'm sorry I keep glaring at you, Kreacher." She looked a bit sheepish. "You can come out of that corner; I promise I'll do my best to stop getting mad at you. It's just frustrating, not being able to do anything."

James had an angry scowl on his face, and Remus said, hoping to lighten the mood a bit, "Well, we are here to change things, right? And it makes sense that we should try and get the most accurate version of things before we rush off and do anything stupid." He grinned teasingly at James and Sirius, who had a tendency of doing just that. They grinned back shamelessly.

**And what, what, had that Howler been about? Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?**

**Why was he still trapped here without information? Why was everyone treating him like some naughty kid? Don't do any more magic, stay in the house…**

**He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body.**

Remus snorted quietly. He had done that a few times as well, when his anger at the ridiculousness of the wizarding world grew too strong. It never helped, as Harry had just demonstrated so admirably.

**Just as he limped past the window, Hedwig soared through it with a soft rustle of wings like a small ghost.**

**"About time!" Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage. "You can put that down, I've got work for you!"**

Remus was a little miffed at Harry's treatment of his owl. The poor bird had not done anything to him, after all. Snape seemed to have the same impression.

"Nice kid you have, Potter," he sneered. Both James and Lily glared at the Slytherin. Remus noticed that the Slytherin boy looked a bit abashed at Lily's glare. Not for the first time, he wondered just how strong the friendship between his best mates' rival and James's new girlfriend had once been.

The two had always kept their friendship rather quiet, but most people knew they had hung out quite often, until Lily started avoiding Snape their sixth year, after he called her a mudblood at the end of fifth year. Given how Snape and Lily had been acting so far today, Remus thought the estrangement seemed to be much stronger on Lily's side. _Strange,_ he thought. _I didn't think he liked her much, after he called her _that_ name._

Remus shrugged mentally and interrupted the bickering that had broken out between Snape and James after Snape's comment. "Just read the book, James," he sighed. The friendship situation between Lily and Snape was their own business.

**Hedwig's large, round, amber eyes gazed at him reproachfully over the dead frog clamped in her beak.**

Lily, surprisingly, giggled. "My owl brings me dead animals all the time," she said fondly. Remus joined his friends in gawking at Lily's strange reaction.

"What?" she said, a bit defensively. "I think it's sweet that she feels comfortable enough to eat them in front of me. Come to think of it, Harry's owl seems quite sweet too, though he is not treating her very well right now."

Remus shook his head in bemusement. His best mate had certainly picked an odd girl to fall in love with, though he supposed having an overwhelming love for and empathy with animals was one of the better odd traits to have. He could still remember how Lily, as a first year, had attempted to smuggle multiple pets into the school. She had always been terribly indignant when housemates would rat her out about the cats, mice, and even snake that she had kept in her room at various times, and the animals would be sent home to her parents.

Not for the first time, Remus wondered if his desire to keep his condition from Lily bred more from a fear of her freaking out, or from a fear of the crazy girl wanting to keep him as a pet.

**"Come here," said Harry, picking up the three small rolls of parchment and a leather thong and tying the scrolls to her scaly leg. "Take these straight to Sirius, Ron and Hermione and don't come back here without good long replies. Keep pecking them till they've written decent-length answers if you've got to. Understand?"**

Sirius winced, and the two Slytherins in the room sniggered. Remus hoped for Sirius's sake that he wrote Harry a letter back quickly. Owl bites could be nasty, as James had once personally found out in sixth year when Lily's owl had responded to a rather inappropriate letter of his in the form of chasing the boy around the Gryffindor common room, pecking and scratching at him until a satisfied Lily called the owl off.

**Hedwig gave a muffled hooting noise, her beak still full of frog.**

**"Get going, then," said Harry.**

**She took off immediately. The moment she'd gone, Harry threw himself down on his bed without undressing and stared at the dark ceiling. In addition to every other miserable feeling, he now felt guilty that he'd been irritable with Hedwig;**

"It's good of him to feel guilty," Lily muttered, and Remus wondered with a smirk if she had felt guilty the time she'd caused James to be covered in bites and scratches.

**she was the only friend he had at number four, Privet Drive. But he'd make it up to her when she came back with the answers from Sirius, Ron and Hermione.**

**They were bound to write back quickly; they couldn't possibly ignore a Dementor attack. He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to The Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him, stifling all further thought.**

"He's certainly got a lot of confidence in Black," Snape sneered. "He gets less and less intelligent every chapter." The marauders glared at him.

**But Hedwig didn't return next morning. Harry spent the day in his bedroom, leaving it only to go to the bathroom. Three times that day Aunt Petunia shoved food into his room through the cat flap Uncle Vernon had installed three summers ago.**

There was silence for a moment at this news. "I really hope that wasn't put there for the reason I suspect it was," Lily finally muttered, and Remus noticed even Snape nodded at her words.

James simply glared at the book for a moment, before remembering that he was the one reading.

**Every time Harry heard her approaching he tried to question her about the Howler, but he might as well have interrogated the doorknob for all the answers he got. Otherwise, the Dursleys kept well clear of his bedroom. Harry couldn't see the point of forcing his company on them; another row would achieve nothing except perhaps make him so angry he'd perform more illegal magic.**

Remus gave James and Lily sympathetic glances, knowing that they both were feeling quite useless at having to read about how helpless their future child would be and being unable to help him.

**So it went on for three whole days. Harry was alternately filled with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything, during which time he paced his bedroom, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in this mess; and with a lethargy so complete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a time, staring dazedly into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry hearing.**

"He sounds worse than you in a bad mood, Padfoot," James said, interrupting himself and grinning at Sirius, before hurriedly going back to the book and reading over Padfoot's retort.

Remus was glad to see that his friend was still managing to find humor in this story. He had a feeling from the way things were going in just these first few chapters that they would all be glad for whatever bits of humor they could find before long.

**What if they ruled against him? What if he was expelled and his wand was snapped in half? What would he do, where would he go? He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged.**

Remus realized how tenuous James's humor had been as his voice broke on that sentence. Remus moved closer, along with Sirius, to offer his friend some support. Lily was curled into James's other side, eyes wet with unshed tears at the thought of her son being so depressed and unloved.

When Remus glanced at the other side of the room, he noticed that Dumbledore's eyes bore no trace of their usual twinkle, and even the two Slytherins looked uncomfortable and unhappy.

**Might he be able to move into Sirius's house, as Sirius had suggested a year ago, before he had been forced to flee from the Ministry?**

"Harry should live with me!" Sirius yelled out, causing Remus to wince but smile. While the young werewolf was not entirely sure of his wild friend's parenting abilities, Sirius had to be better than the Dursleys. Even on the run from the Ministry, Sirius would provide Harry with a much happier and more loving home.

**Would Harry be allowed to live there alone, given that he was still underage?**

"You would live there with me, Harry!" Sirius shuffled closer to James, who smiled.

"I'll help take care of him, too, if I'm still alive," Remus said softly to James. His eyes brightened a little at the show of support from his friends, and he hugged Lily closer.

**Or would the matter of where he went next be decided for him? Had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been severe enough to land him in a cell in Azkaban?**

Snape snorted, and all the marauders glared at him. _Though Harry is being a bit ridiculous with that thought,_ Remus added in his head. He could not know that Snape was actually thinking of a time years ago when Lily had worried something similar, and the Slytherin boy had soothed her fears.

**Whenever this thought occurred, Harry invariably slid off his bed and began pacing again.**

**On the fourth night after Hedwig's departure**

Lily interrupted James and turned to Sirius. "Why in Merlin's name are you not responding, Black?" Sirius looked uncertain, and it was James who replied.

"Maybe he's too busy plotting how to get Harry out." Lily and the Slytherins all snorted, but James continued reading before they could say more. Remus found it somewhat ironic how Lily had snapped at the slightest interruption during her turn reading, but had no qualms about interrupting anyone else.

**Harry was lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered his bedroom. Harry looked slowly around at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and an expression of enormous smugness.**

**"We're going out," he said.**

"Good," Sirius said, "Now Harry can escape and come find me." James perked up at this though, but Lily still looked nervous.

**"Sorry?"**

**"We - that is to say, your aunt, Dudley and I - are going out."**

**"Fine," said Harry dully, looking back at the ceiling.**

**"You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away."**

"Don't listen to him," Sirius said, interrupting again. "Run away while you have the chance!"

Lily and James still looked a bit worried however, and Remus privately was hoping that the Advance Guard the chapter title had mentioned would show up soon. Harry hardly needed to be wandering around on his own at this point.

**"Okay."**

**"You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions."**

**"Right."**

**"You are not to steal food from the fridge."**

"He can eat if he wants to, you pig." Surprisingly, this outburst came from Snape. The marauders let their own angry words die on their lips as they glanced uncertainly at their nemesis. A moment later, James began reading again, but Remus kept his eyes on the boy across the room. He was getting the feeling throughout their reading that there was more to Severus Snape than he and his friends had ever bothered finding out before.

**"Okay."**

**"I am going to lock your door."**

There were a few muted growls at this. _They lock him away in his bedroom like an animal,_ Remus thought to himself, glaring at the book.

"That's alright," Sirius said, a bit less confidently now. "Surely James' kid knows how to pick locks."

**"You do that."**

**Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, clearly suspicious of this lack of argument, **

Sirius snorted. "Clearly Prongslet is planning to blow up the house, not being depressed over seeing a classmate die and an evil wizard return to life with his blood or anything."

**then stomped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry heard the key turn in the lock and Uncle Vernon's footsteps walking heavily down the stairs. A few minutes later he heard the slamming of car doors, the rumble of an engine, and the unmistakable sound of the car sweeping out of the drive.**

**Harry had no particular feeling about the Dursleys leaving. It made no difference to him whether they were in the house or not. He could not even summon the energy to get up and turn on his bedroom light. The room grew steadily darker around him as he lay listening to the night sounds through the window he kept open all the time, waiting for the blessed moment when Hedwig returned. The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery.**

Remus fidgeted awkwardly as James read in a sad voice. He could empathize with his best friend's son, as he had spent many an hour of his own life mulling over how cruel life could be.

**Then, quite distinctly, he heard a crash in the kitchen below.**

Everyone sat up, clearly thinking similar thoughts. Could the Death Eaters have come to finish the job the Dementors failed?

**He sat bolt upright, listening intently. The Dursleys couldn't be back, it was much too soon, and in any case he hadn't heard their car.**

**There was silence for a few seconds, then voices. Burglars, he thought, sliding off the bed on to his feet - but a split second later it occurred to him that burglars would keep their voices down, and whoever was moving around in the kitchen was certainly not troubling to do so. He snatched up his wand from the bedside table and stood facing his bedroom door, listening with all his might. Next moment, he jumped as the lock gave a loud click and his door swung open.**

The tension in the room grew palpably thicker at this.

**Harry stood motionless, staring through the open doorway at the dark upstairs landing, straining his ears for further sounds, but none came. He hesitated for a moment, then moved swiftly and silently out of his room to the head of the stairs.**

"At least he's being cautious," Lily whispered in the silence, and Remus had to agree with her.

**His heart shot upwards into his throat. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the glass door; eight or nine of them, all, as far as he could see, looking up at him.**

James sped up his reading, voice displaying his fear.

**"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," said a low, growling voice.**

"What?" rang through the room, and suddenly Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling as everyone realized that only a friend would speak to Harry like that.

"It must be the Advance Guard!" Lily exclaimed, smiling suddenly.

**Harry's heart was thumping uncontrollably. He knew that voice, but he did not lower his wand. "Professor Moody?" he said uncertainly.**

"Moody?" James interrupted himself, finally allowing himself to being smiling again. "That name sounds familiar…"

"I do believe he works with your father in the Auror department," Professor Dumbledore answered James, his eyes twinkling.

"Right!" James cried with a grin. "My dad's always going on about how paranoid and crazy the guy is. Sees dark wizards everywhere, from what my dad says. I bet he'd make a hilarious professor."

Remus personally did not think an incredibly paranoid professor who saw dark wizards in everything sounded like a good thing, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Besides, a crazy professor was better than Death Eaters, at least.

**"I don't know so much about 'Professor'," growled the voice, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly."**

_Wonder why that is,_ Remus thought to himself. Most people seemed to share his curiosity.

**Harry lowered his wand slightly but did not relax his grip on it, nor did he move.**

**He had very good reason to be suspicious. He had recently spent nine months in what he had thought was Mad-Eye Moody's company only to find out that it wasn't Moody at all, but an impostor; an impostor, moreover, who had tried to kill Harry before being unmasked. **

"Um, what?" Lily asked, and she was not the only one confused. Remus turned to Kreature, who had conjured himself a small chair while everyone was reading. When the little elf noticed that several people were looking at him, he answered their unspoken question.

"This is being something Kreature is not being able to bring back, but you is finding out the answer soon," the elf said, and Lily visibly restrained herself from demanding more answers.

Sirius had no such restraint, however. "How can we be finding out the information you weren't allowed to bring back?" he asked in a sneering voice.

Kreature inclined his head towards Sirius, saying, "Master Harry is giving me letters for you to read later. You is coming to the point of reading them soon and they will be telling you much that you want to know."

Everyone looked surprised at that. However, when the elf remained silent, giving up no more, James slowly returned to reading.

**But before he could make a decision about what to do next, a second, slightly hoarse voice floated upstairs.**

**"It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away."**

"Good," several people muttered, including Remus.

**Harry's heart leapt. He knew that voice, too, though he hadn't heard it for over a year.**

James paused for a moment, a bright grin lighting up his face.

**"P-Professor Lupin?" he said disbelievingly. "Is that you?"**

Remus stiffened in surprise, then covered his sensitive ears at the loud cry of, "Moony's a professor!" that came from his friends.

Sirius and James were both hugging him as he sat still in shock.

Remus was used to ignoring James and Sirius, so it was Lily's voice that broke him out of his reverie. "I think you'll make a great professor, Remus. You're very patient and smart."

Remus returned her grin weakly, ignoring the glares of Snape across the room. Though he would love to be there for James's son, a small part of him hoped that he would not be in the story much, or everyone was going to find out about his furry little problem (though he had to admit, the only people in the room who didn't know were Lily and Sirius's brother, and Remus wasn't even sure about the latter, as Snape could have broken his promise to Dumbledore and told the younger Slytherin all about his brother's deadly prank).

**"Why are we all standing in the dark?" said a third voice, this one completely unfamiliar, a woman's. "Lumos."**

**A wand-tip flared, illuminating the hall with magical light. Harry blinked. The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs, gazing up at him intently, some craning their heads for a better look.**

**Remus Lupin stood nearest to him. **

Sirius and James beamed at Remus again, and Snape continued to glare at him.

**Though still quite young, Lupin looked tired and rather ill; he had more grey hairs than when Harry had last said goodbye to him and his robes were more patched and shabbier than ever. **

Remus winced at this description of his appearance. Obviously, the wizarding world was going to be no more likely to hire werewolves than they were in the present, and his professor job had clearly not lasted long. Sirius and James were looking angrily at the book, but James kept reading, for which Remus was grateful, if only to stop the confused look of Lily.

**Nevertheless, he was smiling broadly at Harry, who tried to smile back despite his state of shock.**

**"Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would," said the witch who was holding her lit wand aloft. She looked the youngest there; she had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet. **

"She sounds cute," Sirius said with a lecherous grin, and Remus rolled his eyes as Lily did the same.

His brother had a sneer on his face, however, as he said, "You do realize she's probably little more than a baby right now?" Sirius scowled back, but James quickly continued reading. Remus didn't blame him; fights between the two Black brothers could get very nasty sometimes. He was a little bit surprised that they had been getting along as well as they were so far.

**"Wotcher, Harry!"**

**"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said a bald black wizard standing furthest back - he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear - "he looks exactly like James."**

Remus glanced at his smiling friend, imagining a smaller version of the black haired boy. James had a strange look on his face, a mixture of sadness and pride.

Sirius effectively broke the tension by leaning around James to say, "Clearly you should have married a better looking bloke, Evans." Lily merely laughed at him and moved closer to James, but both of them looked happier.

**"Except the eyes," said a wheezy-voiced, silver-haired wizard at the back. "Lily's eyes."**

James broke off for a moment to stare into said eyes, but a shove from Sirius brought him back to the book.

Remus almost missed the flash of pain on Snape's face, and wondered again what it meant.

**Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled grey hair and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously at Harry through his mismatched eyes. One eye was small, dark and beady, the other large, round and electric blue - the magical eye that could see through walls, doors and the back of Moody's own head. "Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"**

"I see what you mean about him being paranoid," Lily said to James, a look of disbelief on her face. "I can't believe he would want to interrogate a child with Veritaserum."

**"Harry, what form does your Patronus take?" Lupin asked.**

**"A stag," said Harry nervously.**

**"That's him, Mad-Eye," said Lupin.**

"That's not a very safe question if anyone besides Lupin has seen Potter Jr.'s Patronus," Regulus pointed out snidely.

James and Sirius glared, but Remus cut them off, trying to keep a bit of peace. "It's okay. You're right. I should have asked something more secret than that."

**Very conscious of everybody still staring at him, Harry descended the stairs, stowing his wand in the back pocket of his jeans as he came.**

**"Don't put your wand there, boy!" roared Moody. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!"**

James and Sirius sniggered. Even Remus had to admit it sounded like a pretty ridiculous statement. Lily rolled her eyes at them all, and Dumbledore twinkled.

**"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" the violet-haired woman asked Mad-Eye interestedly.**

**"Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" growled Mad-Eye.**

**"Elementary wand-safety, nobody bothers about it anymore." He stumped off towards the kitchen. "And I saw that," he added irritably, as the woman rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.**

**Lupin held out his hand and shook Harry's.**

"Why no hug for my son?" James asked, a wounded look on his face as he looked over at Remus.

"I don't know," Remus replied. He began to wonder just how close he was, or as it was starting to seem from the books, wasn't to Harry. He could not imagine why he would distance himself from the poor boy who clearly needed a bit more affection in his life.

**"How are you?" he asked, looking closely at Harry.**

**"F-fine…"**

**Harry could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing, not the tiniest hint of a plan to remove him from Privet Drive, and suddenly a whole bunch of wizards were standing matter-of factly in the house as though this was a long-standing arrangement. He glanced at the people surrounding Lupin; they were still gazing avidly at him. He felt very conscious of the fact that he had not combed his hair for four days.**

"As though that will make any difference if he looks like Prongs," Sirius laughed.

Snape looked disgusted.

**"I'm - you're really lucky the Dursleys are out…" he mumbled.**

**"Lucky, ha!" said the violet-haired woman. "It was me who lured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling them they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize-giving right now… or they think they are."**

**Harry had a fleeting vision of Uncle Vernon's face when he realized there was no All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition.**

Everyone laughed, and Sirius added with a snigger, "Doesn't matter if she's little right now, I like this woman in the book." Regulus gave him a disgusted look, but Remus and James merely smiled fondly at their friend. He deserved to enjoy himself and be ridiculous sometimes, given what he had to put up with from his horrible family.

**"We are leaving, aren't we?" he asked. "Soon?"**

**"Almost at once," said Lupin, "we're just waiting for the all-clear."**

James broke away from the reading to cheer. Remus smiled happily, glad that he was getting Harry out of the terrible house in which he'd been confined for what sounded like a long and miserable summer.

**"Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry asked hopefully.**

**"Not The Burrow, no," said Lupin, motioning Harry towards the kitchen; the little knot of wizards followed, all still eyeing Harry curiously. "Too risky. We've set up Headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while…"**

**Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting at the kitchen table swigging from a hip flask, his magical eye spinning in all directions, taking in the Dursleys' many labor-saving appliances.**

**"This is Alastor Moody, Harry" Lupin continued, pointing towards Moody.**

"I thought he already knew Moody, Moony," James said, looking up in confusion. Before Remus could answer, Sirius broke in with another snigger.

"Moody Moony should be your new nickname, Moony!" He grinned, and Remus glared at him, not helping his case as Sirius merely grinned wider in victory.

Lily broke through the friendly banter with an exaggerated cough. "Can we please get through this book sometime this century?" she asked. James gulped at her tone and went back to reading.

**"Yeah, I know," said Harry uncomfortably. It felt odd to be introduced to somebody he'd thought he'd known for a year.**

**"And this is Nymphadora -"**

James stopped and began to laugh. Next to him, Sirius's head snapped up with a horrified expression. As Remus could only think of one person he knew whose family was crazy enough to name someone Nymphadora, he was pretty sure he knew what had set off his friends' reactions.

On the other side of the room, Regulus was sneering as he drawled, "Still think the girl is pretty, brother? I had no idea that you had sunk so low as to be interested in our darling little cousin."

Surprisingly, it was Lily who responded. "Given the inbreeding that most pure-bloods practice," she began scathingly, "I would have thought you'd be the first to encourage his interest in a cousin." Remus could tell that a big argument was brewing as Snape, Sirius, and James all opened their mouths to begin shouting. Thankfully, before the argument could get too far underway, Professor Dumbledore interceded, effectively silencing the room and sending James back to his reading.

**"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder, "it's Tonks."**

**"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin.**

"I wonder why," Sirius muttered with a snort, low enough that only Remus, with his enhanced hearing, overheard. He had regained his cheer fairly quickly, Remus was glad to note.

**"So would you if your fool of a mother had called you Nymphadora," muttered Tonks.**

"Yes, well, it became clear that Andromeda was a fool as soon as she ran off with that mud – muggleborn," Regulus declared. From the looks of rage he was getting from several of the room's occupants, it was clear that his near slipup in word choice had not gone unnoticed. Once more, Dumbledore was forced to intercede to calm the occupants of the room, though he gave the younger Black a distinctly disappointed look when James reluctantly returned to reading.

**"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt." He indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed.**

"The Shacklebolts are a good family," Sirius broke in with a smile. "If I remember rightly, Kingsley graduated a few years ago. He was a Ravenclaw, and a good dueler."

Remus only vaguely recalled the big, quiet Ravenclaw who had been a sixth year when the marauders started at Hogwarts.

**"Elphias Doge." The wheezy-voiced wizard nodded. "Dedalus Diggle -"**

"Doge is nearly as old as Dumbledore; mother hates him because he is always vocal about muggle rights and is friends with Dumbledore," Sirius ran off. "Mother doesn't talk about Diggle much, though. She mostly just thinks he's an idiot. He was in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts."

**"We've met before," squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his violet-colored top hat.**

**"Emmeline Vance." A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl inclined her head. "Sturgis Podmore." A square-jawed wizard with thick straw-colored hair winked. "And Hestia Jones." A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved form next to the toaster.**

"Vance and Jones are good families," Sirius continued his listing of the purebloods. "The Vances have always been a bit haughty and reluctant to get involved in things, but they'd all sooner join Dumbledore than Voldemort. The Joneses are a recent family who's mostly Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Mother has a lot of disdain for them, but I've heard Hestia's making quite a name for herself recently in magical law. I haven't heard of Podmore, though. He must be a muggleborn. That or he's the kid of a muggleborn…"

Lily looked impressed in spite of herself, Remus noticed. Before she could ask any questions, however, James resumed reading, leaving Lily sending Sirius contemplative looks that the dark marauder didn't notice.

**Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered onstage. He also wondered why so many of them were there.**

**"A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you," said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.**

James was smiling too as he read, pride for his son's fame obvious in his voice.

**"Yeah, well, the more the better," said Moody darkly. "We're your guard, Potter."**

The mood darkened again at this latest reminder that Harry was a hunted boy.

**"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Lupin, glancing out of the kitchen window. "We've got about fifteen minutes."**

**"Very clean, aren't they, these Muggles?" said the witch called Tonks, who was looking around the kitchen with great interest. "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob. I suppose it varies, just as it does with wizards?"**

Sirius was laughing by the end of this spiel. "I see Ted doesn't change, and it sounds like little Nymphy takes after him."

**"Er - yeah," said Harry. "Look -" he turned back to Lupin, **

**"what's going on, I haven't heard anything from anyone, what's Vol—?"**

**Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises; Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again and Moody growled, "Shut up!"**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," said Moody, turning his normal eye on Harry. His magical eye remained focused on the ceiling. "Damn it," he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, "it keeps getting stuck - ever since that scum wore it."**

Everyone had been quiet during the conversation in the book, hoping that someone would say something to clarify what was going on. Unfortunately, it seemed that they would have to continue waiting. Remus hoped, for the sake of his James and Lily, that they started getting explanations soon.

**And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye.**

"Eurgh," Lily complained, and Remus had to agree with her. From the looks on Regulus and Snape's faces, they agreed as well. Of course, James and Sirius just sniggered; they always had been a bit immature, but Remus loved them in spite of their flaws.

**"Mad-Eye, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?" said Tonks conversationally.**

Sirius and James laughed, but Remus agreed with Tonks's assessment.

**"Get me a glass of water, would you, Harry," requested Moody.**

**Harry crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean glass and filled it with water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.**

"He clearly doesn't take after you, then," Lily said with a laugh, nudging James beside her. James only grinned at her and continued reading.

**"Cheers," said Moody, when Harry handed him the glass. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down; the eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. "I want three hundred and sixty degrees visibility on the return journey."**

**"How're we getting - wherever we're going?" Harry asked.**

**"Brooms," said Lupin. "Only way. You're too young to Apparate, they'll be watching the Floo Network and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey."**

**"Remus says you're a good flier," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice.**

James's voice quickened in excitement. Remus, who had never cared much for Quidditch beyond generally supporting his House, just smiled at his friend.

**"He's excellent," said Lupin, who was checking his watch. "Anyway, you'd better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes."**

"Argh, Moony, you're so reserved!" James mock glared at Remus. "I want to hear more about my son flying!" Remus stuck out his tongue at James, who returned the gesture before turning back to the book. Dumbledore watched the whole exchange with a smile.

**"I'll come and help you," said Tonks brightly.**

**She followed Harry back into the hall and up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and interest.**

**"Funny place," she said. "It's a bit too clean, d'you know what I mean? Bit unnatural. Oh, this is better," she added, as they entered Harry's bedroom and he turned on the light.**

Several people sniggered at that statement.

**His room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house. Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Harry had not bothered tidying up after himself. Most of the books he owned were strewn over the floor where he'd tried to distract himself with each in turn and thrown it aside; Hedwig's cage needed cleaning out and was starting to smell; and his trunk lay open, revealing a jumbled mixture of Muggle clothes and wizards' robes that had spilled on to the floor around it.**

"Mother would have a fit if she saw a room in that state," Regulus said. Sirius threw him a dark look.

"Mother has fits about all sorts of stupid things," he said. His brother merely shrugged and returned his attention to James, who seemed in favor of moving on before Sirius could dwell too much on his parents.

**Harry started picking up books and throwing them hastily into his trunk. Tonks paused at his open wardrobe to look critically at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door.**

**"You know, I don't think violet's really my color," she said pensively, tugging at a lock of spiky hair. "D'you think it makes me look a bit peaky?"**

**"Er -" said Harry, looking up at her over the top of Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland.**

**"Yeah, it does," said Tonks decisively. She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she was struggling to remember something. A second later, her hair had turned bubblegum pink.**

"Dora's a Metamorphmagus?" Regulus said, looking surprised. Remus vaguely recalled reading about Metamorphmagi once, and from what he remembered they were extremely rare. Therefore, he was also intrigued by this new development.

Sirius, on the other hand, glared at his brother. "She is, as you would know full well if you'd ever bothered to stay in touch with Andy after she got married." Once more, James rushed to fill the awkward silence between the Black brothers with reading, for which Remus was grateful.

**"How did you do that?" said Harry, gaping at her as she opened her eyes again.**

"Duh Harry, Metamorphmagus, keep up!" Sirius interjected playfully. Lily rolled her eyes at him, but James grinned as he read.

**"I'm a Metamorphmagus," she said, looking back at her reflection and turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions. "It means I can change my appearance at will," she added, spotting Harry's puzzled expression in the mirror behind her. "I was born one. I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great."**

**"You're an Auror?" said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark-wizard-catcher was the only career he'd ever considered after Hogwarts.**

"From the sounds of it, he's already in enough trouble without being an Auror." Surprisingly, it was Snape who spoke. Remus was fairly confident that James (and possibly Lily as well) had been about to make the exact same comment, but now he had decided to glare at Snape instead.

"That just means he'll make a better Auror," James replied huffily, then started reading again quickly enough that no one had time to make any more comments.

**"Yeah," said Tonks, looking proud. "Kingsley is as well, he's a bit higher up than me, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking. I'm dead clumsy, did you hear me break that plate when we arrived downstairs?"**

"I see she doesn't change," Sirius said fondly.

**"Can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus?" Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing.**

"Nope," Sirius answered.

Lily, who looked as though she had finally gotten fed up with the interruptions again, glared at him. "Could everyone please shut up for a bit and let James read? I want to know what's going to happen." James took that as his cue to raise his voice and read faster, leaving less room for interruptions.

**Tonks chuckled.**

**"Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh?"**

**Her eyes found the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead.**

**"No, I wouldn't mind," Harry mumbled, turning away. He did not like people staring at his scar.**

**"Well, you'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid," said Tonks. "Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand, or potions, to change their appearance. But we've got to get going, Harry, we're supposed to be packing," she added guiltily, looking around at all the mess on the floor.**

**"Oh — yeah," said Harry, grabbing a few more books.**

**"Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if I - pack!" cried Tonks, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor. Books, clothes, telescope and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk.**

Sirius sniggered again, but James was still reading too quickly to allow him time to interrupt. Remus found himself thinking that Sirius's cousin sounded oddly sweet. For all that it most often came out in unpleasant ways, you couldn't deny that Black blood tended to make people at least a bit unusual.

**"It's not very neat," said Tonks, walking over to t he trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. "My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly - she even gets the socks to fold themselves - but I've never mastered how she does it - it's a kind of flick -" She flicked her wand hopefully. One of Harry's socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess in the trunk.**

**"Ah, well," said Tonks, slamming the trunk's lid shut, "at least it's all in. That could do with a bit of cleaning, too." She pointed her wand at Hedwig's cage. "Scourgify." A few feathers and droppings vanished. "Well, that's a bit better - I've** **never quite got the hang of these householdy sort of spells. Right - got everything? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! - A Firebolt!"**

**Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand it was his pride and joy, a gift from Sirius, an international-standard broomstick.**

"Nice, Sirius!" James cried, pausing to give Sirius a sideways, one armed hug. At Lily's glare, he quickly picked back up with the reading.

**"And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty" said Tonks enviously. "Ah well… wand still in your jeans? Both buttocks still on?**

**Okay, let's go. Locomotor trunk."**

**Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductor's baton, Tonks made the trunk hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand. Harry followed her down the stairs carrying his broomstick.**

**Back in the kitchen Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made Harry feel sick to look at it. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers. Lupin was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys.**

Remus couldn't help but wonder what he had written.

**"Excellent," said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry –"**

**"They won't," said Harry.**

**"- that you're safe -"**

**"That'll just depress them."**

**"- and you'll see them next summer."**

**"Do I have to?"**

**Lupin smiled but made no answer.**

This time, Lily was with James when he stopped reading. "Why are you smiling when my kid is miserable?" James asked, at the same time that Lily said,

"I hardly think that's something to smile about, Remus!"

Remus, for his part, merely looked confused about his older self's actions. It was very odd hearing about the man he would one day be, through the eyes of the teenage son of his best friend. "Maybe I think he's just being melodramatic?" he offered weakly. James and Lily did not look appeased, but it was Dumbledore who broke the tension with a soft interjection.

"None of us can predict the thoughts of our older selves," he said calmly. "All we can do is read what we have been sent and make decisions once we have _all _the information. Until then, everything we come up with is mere conjecture. Even after we finish reading, I imagine some of our thoughts will remain mysterious to our younger selves."

James looked down and resumed reading with a subdued voice.

**"Come here, boy," said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry towards him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."**

**"You need to what?" said Harry nervously.**

**"Disillusionment Charm," said Moody, raising his wand. "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go - He rapped him hard on the top of the head and Harry felt a curious sensation as though Moody had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down his body from the point the wand had struck.**

**"Nice one, Mad-Eye," said Tonks appreciatively, staring at Harry's midriff.**

**Harry looked down at his body, or rather, what had been his body, for it didn't look anything like his any more. It was not invisible; it had simply taken on the exact color and texture of the kitchen unit behind him. He seemed to have become a human chameleon.**

James stopped reading for a moment. "That could be a useful spell."

Sirius grinned smugly. "Why would we need a spell like that when we have-" Remus leaned over and whacked him on the head, cutting him off and clueing him in to the looks that the marauders were getting from the rest of the room.

Snape in particular was giving the Gryffindor group a look that made Remus distinctly uncomfortable.

**"Come on," said Moody, unlocking the back door with his wand. They all stepped outside on to Uncle Vernon's beautifully kept lawn.**

**"Clear night," grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barked at Harry," we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. Lupin'll be covering you from below I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed -"**

**"Is that likely?" Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him.**

"Don't ignore him, answer the question!" Lily cried, leaning over to James and peering down at the book as though she thought James may have read wrong. Sirius's brother gave her an odd look and Sirius sniggered, but for the most part the mood remained dark at the reminder of the danger Harry was in.

**"- the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."**

**"Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he'll think we're not taking this seriously" said Tonks, as she strapped Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage into a harness hanging from her broom.**

Sirius laughed outright at this. Remus had to admit that the girl who was currently a child had developed quite the knack for breaking tension. Even Lily grinned a bit.

**"I'm just telling the boy the plan," growled Moody. "Our jobs to deliver him safely to Headquarters and if we die in the attempt –"**

**"No one's going to die," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep, calming voice.**

"No one did die, right Kreacher?" Lily asked, glancing towards the corner where the elf still stood. Remus had almost forgotten about the small creature during this chapter. Kreacher flinched and avoided looking at Lily's face as he answered.

"Kreacher cannot say anything that you has not read yet," the elf mumbled.

James laid a hand on Lily's shoulder and grinned at her. "They've got a bunch of Aurors with them, Lily, I doubt they'll be in too much trouble even if someone did try to attack." Lily looked appeased, but when he looked around the room, Remus noticed that Dumbledore looked almost sad as he watched the future couple. After a moment, Remus realized why. You-Know-Who was killing many people outside Hogwarts walls right now, and many of those people were Aurors. Being trained in combat probably didn't always keep you safe when your enemies were led by one of the most powerful wizards in the world and aiming to kill.

**"Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" said Lupin sharply pointing into the sky.**

**Far, far above them, a shower of bright red sparks had flared among the stars. Harry recognized them at once as wand sparks. He swung his right leg over his Firebolt, gripped its handle tightly and felt it vibrating very slightly, as though it was as keen as he was to be up in the air once more.**

**"Second signal, let's go!" said Lupin loudly as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them.**

**Harry kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed through his hair as the neat square gardens of Privet Drive fell away, shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark greens and blacks, and every thought of the Ministry hearing was swept from his mind as though the rush of air had blown it out of his head. He felt as though his heart was going to explode with pleasure; he was flying again, flying away from Privet Drive as he'd been fantasizing about all summer, he was going home… for a few glorious moments, all his problems seemed to recede to nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry sky.**

"He really seems to love flying, doesn't he?" Lily said, looking at James with a strange fondness in her eyes.

Sirius snorted. "He's probably just glad to get away from the morons he's forced to call family." It was said in a lighthearted manner, but Remus could see the hardness in his friend's eyes as Padfoot glanced at his younger brother.

James, of course, missed Sirius's comment as he was too busy gazing at Lily and seeming overjoyed at the thought of his kid loving flying. It took a cough from Remus before he remembered that he was supposed to be reading.

**"Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!" shouted Moody from behind him. Tonks swerved and Harry followed her, watching his trunk swinging wildly beneath her broom. "We need more height… give it another quarter of a mile!"**

**Harry's eyes watered in the chill as they soared upwards; he could see nothing below now but tiny pinpricks of light that were car headlights and streetlamps. Two of those tiny lights might belong to Uncle Vernon's car… the Dursleys would be heading back to their empty house right now, full of rage about the non-existent Lawn Competition… and Harry laughed aloud at the thought, though his voice was drowned by the flapping robes of the others, the creaking of the harness holding his trunk and the cage, and the whoosh of the wind in their ears as they sped through the air. He had not felt this alive in a month, or this happy.**

**"Bearing south!" shouted Mad-Eye. "'Town ahead!"**

**They soared right to avoid passing directly over the glittering spider's web of lights below.**

**"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Moody.**

**"We're not going through clouds!" shouted Tonks angrily, "we'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!"**

**Harry was relieved to hear her say this; his hands were growing numb on the Firebolt's handle. He wished he had thought to put on a coat; he was starting to shiver.**

Remus felt bad for the both the boy and his future self. It sounded like it was going to be a very unpleasant broom ride. For the first time, he wondered where they were going, and what his future self was doing with his life. The book had focused so much on Harry's perspective that it had seemed only natural to wonder more about how James and Lily felt than about himself, even when he entered the book. He still sort of hoped the book wouldn't say too much about him, as he didn't want Lily and Sirius's brother knowing about his condition, but at the same time he was curious.

**They altered their course every now and then according to Mad-Eyes instructions. Harry's eyes were screwed up against the rush of icy wind that was starting to make his ears ache; he could remember being this cold on a broom only once before, during the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in his third year, which had taken place in a storm.**

"That means he was on the Quidditch team by third year!" James broke off to say with a grin. At Lily's unimpressed look, he quickly went back to reading.

**The guard around him was circling continuously like giant birds of prey. Harry lost track of time. He wondered how long they had been flying, it felt like an hour at least.**

**"Turning southwest!" yelled Moody "We want to avoid the motorway!"**

**Harry was now so chilled he thought longingly of the snug, dry interiors of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of traveling by Floo powder; it might be uncomfortable to spin around in fireplaces but it was at least warm in the flames… **

Several people laughed at this thought. Remus didn't think he had ever thought longingly of Floo travel.

**Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around him, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight… now Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and right… then she, too, swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore…**

**"We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouted.**

**"ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE"' Tonks screamed from the front. "We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off-course we're not going to get there until next week! Besides, we're nearly there now!"**

**"Time to start the descent!" came Lupin's voice. "Follow Tonks, Harry!"**

**Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They were heading for the largest collection of lights he had yet seen, a huge, sprawling crisscrossing mass, glittering in lines and grids, interspersed with patches of deepest black. Lower and lower they flew, until Harry could see individual headlights and streetlamps, chimneys and television aerials. He wanted to reach the ground very much, though he felt sure someone would have to unfreeze him from his broom.**

**"Here we go!" called Tonks, and a few seconds later she had landed.**

**Harry touched down right behind her and dismounted on a patch of unkempt grass in the middle of a small square. Tonks was already unbuckling Harry's trunk. Shivering, Harry looked around. The grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the streetlamps, paint was peeling from many of the doors and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps.**

Remus grimaced, as did several others, but James sped up in his reading. They could all sense that the end of the chapter must be nearing.

**"Where are we?" Harry asked, but Lupin said quietly, "In a minute."**

**Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold.**

**"Got it," he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it. The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop. He clicked the unlighter again;** **the next lamp went out; he kept clicking until every lamp in the square was extinguished and the only remaining light came from curtained windows and the sickle moon overhead.**

**"Borrowed it from Dumbledore," growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. "That'll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window, see? Now come on, quick."**

Several of the students were sending the Headmaster impressed looks, but predictably it was Sirius who found something to laugh about. "You seriously named something that cool a "Put-Outer" professor?" he asked while laughing. James began laughing too, and even Remus grinned. It did sound like a bit of a silly name.

Professor Dumbledore let Sirius finish laughing with a calm smile on his face before responding. "Actually, Mr. Black, the proper name is a Deluminator. I would guess that the young Mr. Potter simply does not know the name and so, since we are getting this information from his memories, we are given whatever name he comes up with."

"That's definitely a way cooler name," Sirius said.

**He took Harry by the arm and led him from the patch of grass, across the road and on to the pavement; Lupin and Tonks followed, carrying Harry's trunk between them, the rest of the guard, all with their wands out, flanking them.**

**The muffled pounding of a stereo was coming from an upper window in the nearest house. A pungent smell of rotting rubbish came from the pile of bulging bin-bags just inside the broken gate.**

Remus grimaced again at this description. He sort of hoped that the headquarters weren't located at his home, though he had to admit he was unlikely to live anywhere much nicer than this.

**"Here," Moody muttered, thrusting a piece of parchment towards Harry's Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as to illuminate the writing. "Read quickly and memorise."**

**Harry looked down at the piece of paper. The narrow handwriting was vaguely familiar. It said: The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at **

James stopped suddenly, nearly choking on the words he'd been about to read. Remus added his voice to the general clamor to know what was wrong, but James merely waved everyone down and continued reading.

**The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.**

There was a moment of silence, before Sirius and his brother both cried out at the same moment. "What in the bloody hell is it doing there!" Sirius cried as Regulus made sounds of agreement. Remus looked at his friend oddly, before remembering that Grimmauld Place was were Sirius had grown up with his family, who were not the sort of people one would expect to host anti Dark Lord groups.

Snape looked similarly surprised, though he contained his emotions fairly well. Dumbledore seemed thoughtful. Lily, though, just looked confused. "Why is this so strange," she asked, clearly annoyed at being in the dark about something that everyone else understood. James was too busy consoling Sirius to answer, so Remus decided to tell her.

"Grimmauld Place is where Sirius's parents live and, well, they're not exactly anti-You-Know-Who," he said, trying to phrase things without being too mean. Regulus and Sirius snorted at the same time.

"They're bloody muggle haters, it what he means," Sirius ground out, glaring at the book as though it had personally insulted him.

Regulus glared at his brother. "They believe in tradition and good breeding, they're not bad people! You just always had to piss them off by being deliberately crass, cruel, and improper all the time!" Sirius gave his brother a look of scorn.

"_I _was the one being cruel all the time?" he asked, derision dripping from every word. "I wasn't the one who claims that muggles should all be locked up and muggleborns used as servants if we have to have them in our world at all," he nearly snarled. Lily gasped at this, covering her mouth.

Both brothers looked ready to lay into each other, in spite of James and Remus's efforts to calm Sirius down. Even Dumbledore was not having much luck telling the boys to calm down. So it was a shock to everyone when a shield suddenly appeared between the two.

Remus and Lily were the first to figure out the shield's origins, though. Kreacher had moved out of his corner and was looking apologetically at Regulus. "I is sorry, Master Regulus," the old elf said in his rough voice, "but Master Harry was saying that I is not to allow any fighting. You is also supposed to be reading." Regulus had a brief staring match with the elf before his eyes softened and he nodded. At that point, Kreacher shifted his gaze to Sirius. Remus was amused to note that the elf's gaze was quite a bit harsher as he stared defiantly at his other Black master.

Sirius took longer to calm down, but eventually he did, nodding at the elf in the same way his brother had. "I still say it's completely mad that anyone would put Headquarters at my dear old mum's place, but I'm sure there was a good reason," he muttered as the shield disappeared.

Remus breathed a sigh of relief that things had cooled down. He took the book from where James had left it when Sirius freaked out and spoke to the room at large, "I suppose I'll read next, if that's alright with everyone." Everyone nodded at him, or ignored him in the case of Snape, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he took up an intent pose that indicated he would be delighted to hear Remus read. With a bit of discomfort at the number of eyes on him, Remus opened the book to the next chapter and began to read.

* * *

**AN:** I'm really sorry again about the wait for this chapter. Hopefully I'll get the next ones out sooner than a year or two from now. I've also decided I won't be writing any more from Remus's perspective, at least for a while. He's very difficult for me to write, and I blame that at least partly for how long this chapter took to write. By the time I realized how much I don't like writing him, I had gotten far enough that I kept convincing myself that it would just take longer if I scrapped the whole thing and started over.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** So, this chapter is from Sirius's perspective. I tried to go down a different rode than the carefree joker that most people portray him as. We know that he was incredibly intelligent, from the fact that he helped make the Marauders Map, and he became an Animagus in his fifth year. We also know that he was arrogant and at least a bit of a bully, probably a lot of a bully, from the pensive incident.

I imagine his upbringing probably manifested itself at least a bit in him finding amusement in his enemies' pain. Just because he was on the side of the light and ultimately a good guy doesn't mean there couldn't have also been a lot of darkness in him. He was very casually derogatory and rude to both Remus and Peter in the pensive incident. I imagine he would have found it very difficult to empathize with most other people. Even in the books, though we see him being kind and understanding towards Harry a lot, we also see him still being somewhat arrogant, impulsive, and rude towards others. There is, of course, the explanation that he hated being cooped up and unfairly maligned by most of the wizarding world, but that doesn't change the fact that he was emotionally unstable and quite dark in much of his humor during the books. Given that he was abused by his family for years before being sent to Azkaban, I would imagine that less of that darkness is due to Azkaban than most people write into his character.

All this being said, I do love Sirius and believe that he truly cared about Harry and always had his best interests at heart. He seems to me mainly like a person who has a lot of potential for darkness but always tries his hardest to overcome that darkness, though it still manifests sometimes in ways he doesn't even realize.

I've also decided to do something potentially a bit controversial with Regulus, but it's only alluded to in this chapter. If you pick up on it, feel free to comment, either in support or against it, but I've had this view of Regulus for a while and I'm not planning to change it.

* * *

"**Number Twelve Grimmauld Place,"** Remus read, and Sirius shot one last glare at his brother before settling down to listen.

He still couldn't believe that somehow his family home had ended up being headquarters for the Order, but hopefully the book would explain. Maybe every single member of his family had all died off and Dumbledore had bought the house somehow. He glanced across the room at his brother again, and revised his thoughts as hope began to unfurl in his chest. Maybe Reg had finally come to his senses and joined their side. If his parents _had_ died, Reg would have no need to join You-Know-Who to please them, but he would still get the house since Sirius had been disowned.

"**What's the Order of the -?" Harry began.**

"**Not here, boy!" snarled Moody. "Wait till we're inside!"**

"Hang on a minute," Sirius said, interrupting as he realized something. "I know my parents are aware of the Order, which is presumably how Reggie knows about it," he ignored his brother's scowl at the nickname, "and I'm assuming he then told Sniv- Snape, but how does Evans know what it is?" He turned to the girl in question, who rolled her eyes.

"James told me about the Order a month ago when he was trying to be impressive."

Sirius gaped at his best mate. James had the sense to duck his head in shame, but Sirius still whacked him in the head. He wanted to do more, for Prongs giving away secrets just to please a girl, even if it was a girl he'd wanted to marry since practically first year, was Not Cool. Unfortunately, Remus interrupted him by continuing to read. When he glanced around, he noticed that Dumbledore was twinkling at James, while Snape and Reg sniggered quietly.

**He pulled the piece of parchment out of Harry's hand and set fire to it with his wand-tip. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Harry looked around at the houses again. They were standing outside number eleven; he looked to the left and saw number ten; to the right, however, was number thirteen.**

"**But where's -?"**

"**Think about what you've just memorized," said Lupin quietly.**

**Harry thought, and no sooner had he reached the part about number twelve, Grimmauld Place, than a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. It was as though an extra house had inflated, pushing those on either side out of its way. Harry gaped at it. The stereo in number eleven thudded on. Apparently the Muggles inside hadn't felt anything.**

"What spell was that, Sir?" Evans interrupted, looking at the headmaster. Sirius would never admit it, but he was just as curious. It sounded like one of the warding spells he had learned about as a kid, but he couldn't recall which one.

Dumbledore smiled as he answered. "It sounds like a Fidelius Charm, Miss Evans," he said. "The charm hides a dwelling, entrusting the secret of its location to a single person. Anyone who has not heard or read the location from the Secret Keeper will be entirely unable to find the dwelling."

Once Dumbledore answered, Sirius remembered the spell. It wasn't exactly a ward, as it didn't directly protect against attacks, but it was one of the best ways to hide something, if you knew someone you could trust absolutely. This further proved that his parents, at least, were no longer in the house. Even if they had undergone some huge change of heart regarding their side in the war, they were both incredibly suspicious souls and would never trust anyone enough to be a secret keeper for them.

**Come on, hurry," growled Moody, prodding Harry in the back.**

**Harry walked up the worn stone steps, staring at the newly materialized door. Its black paint was shabby and scratched. The silver doorknocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox.**

**Lupin pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. Harry heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.**

"**Get in quick, Harry," Lupin whispered, "but don't go far inside and don't touch anything."**

Sirius snorted. "No Moony, you should be telling him not to go in at all because it's a creepy place where the dark magic has probably soaked into the walls and made the whole place uninhabitable," he said to Remus.

His brother glared at him, and opened his mouth, but Remus continued his trend of reading over any interruptions that weren't potentially useful questions.

**Harry stepped over the threshold into the almost total darkness of the hall. He could smell damp, dust and a sweetish, rotting smell; the place had the feeling of a derelict building. **

Sirius scowled. Home sweet home. It sounded even worse than when he'd run away, though the lack of his screaming parents was a nice change.

**He looked over his shoulder and saw the others filing in behind him, Lupin and Tonks carrying his trunk and Hedwig's cage. Moody was standing on the top step releasing the balls of light the Put-Outer had stolen from the streetlamps; they flew back to their bulbs and the square glowed momentarily with orange light before Moody limped inside and closed the front door, so that the darkness in the hall became complete.**

"**Here -"**

**He rapped Harry hard over the head with his wand; Harry felt as though something hot was trickling down his back this time and knew that the Disillusionment Charm must have lifted.**

"**Now stay still, everyone, while I give us a bit of light in here," Moody whispered.**

**The others' hushed voices were giving Harry an odd feeling of foreboding; it was as though they had just entered the house of a dying person. He heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-blackened portraits hung crooked on the walls. Harry heard something scuttling behind the baseboard. Both the chandelier and the candelabra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents.**

"Did something happen to you, Kreacher?" It was Regulus who spoke this time, and he was looking at Kreacher in confusion. Sirius turned his gaze towards the elf, scowling. The little thing was shifting nervously in his corner and wringing his hands.

"Yous is supposed to be reading," Kreacher squeaked, and Sirius laughed darkly.

"Let me guess," he said to the nervous elf, "my dear old mum died and you stopped doing your job, didn't you?" Kreacher looked like he dearly wanted to reply to Sirius, who would have loved a chance to vent some of his confusion and frustration on the elf who had helped make his childhood hell. Even Prongs's hand on his shoulder and Reg's disgusted look only added to his bad mood.

Perhaps fortunately, Remus did not give anyone a chance to continue the conversation. He had paused only momentarily in his reading, and now he raised his voice, while keeping it still somehow calm and measured, and gave Sirius a distinctly unimpressed look in between words.

**There were hurried footsteps and Ron's mother, Mrs. Weasley, emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. She was beaming in welcome as she hurried towards them, though Harry noticed that she was rather thinner and paler than she had been last time he had seen her.**

"**Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" she whispered, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug before holding him at arm's length and examining him critically. "You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid."**

**She turned to the gang of wizards behind him and whispered urgently, "He's just arrived, the meetings started."**

"Maybe we'll finally get some answers," Lily interrupted, sitting up. Everyone sat forward at that thought, including Sirius. Maybe he would get to see what his brother grew into after their parents died.

**The wizards behind Harry all made noises of interest and excitement and began filing past him towards the door through which Mrs. Weasley had just come. Harry made to follow Lupin, but Mrs. Weasley held him back.**

"**No, Harry, the meetings only for members of the Order. Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you can wait with them until the meetings over, then we'll have dinner.**

"But I want to hear the meeting!" James cried. Sirius and Lily made noises of agreement, and even Reg and Snape looked put out. Dumbledore, on the other hand, merely looked thoughtful as he stared at the book in Moony's hand. Sirius had a sudden suspicion that the headmaster had already put together a lot more about the future than anyone else.

**And keep your voice down in the hall," she added in an urgent whisper.**

"**Why?"**

"**I don't want anything to wake up."**

"Oh great, and now there are _things_ living in the house," Sirius grumbled.

Moony arched an eyebrow at Sirius and said, "She could also mean the portraits. From some of the things you've told us about your family, I can't imagine I'd want to talk to many of them, even in painting form."

Sirius considered this. He knew his mother had recently had a portrait of herself installed in the front entry way and permanently charmed to the wall. He shuddered at the thought of more portraits throughout the house, all charmed to stick to the walls and spew hatred at anyone stupid enough to voice a sane opinion too close to one. The thought of strange non-sentient creatures taking up residence in the derelict house seemed suddenly more pleasant than the thought of all those portraits.

"**What d'you -?"**

"**I'll explain later, I've got to hurry, I'm supposed to be at the meeting - I'll just show you where you're sleeping."**

**Pressing her finger to her lips, she led him on tiptoe past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains, behind which Harry supposed there must be another door, and after skirting a large umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from a severed troll's leg they started up the dark staircase, passing a row of shrunken heads mounted on plaques on the wall. A closer look showed Harry that the heads belonged to house-elves. All of them had the same rather snout-like nose.**

Remus actually paused in his reading for a moment to stare at Sirius in disgust. "Are those really-" he began, but Sirius cut him off.

"Yes they are, and yes I know it's gross and horrible. I didn't run away because my life was full of sunshine and daisies, you know." He scowled at everyone, noting that James was giving him a sympathetic look, and Evans looked even more disgusted than Remus. Thankfully, Remus understood his tone and went back to reading.

**Harry's bewilderment deepened with every step he took. What on earth were they doing in a house that looked as though it belonged to the darkest of wizards?**

"I'd like to know that as well," Sirius muttered.

"**Mrs. Weasley, why -?"**

"**Ron and Hermione will explain everything, dear, I've really got to dash," Mrs. Weasley whispered distractedly. "There -" they had reached the second landing, "- you're the door on the right. I'll call you when it's over."**

**And she hurried off downstairs again.**

**Harry crossed the dingy landing, turned the bedroom doorknob, which was shaped like a serpents head, and opened the door.**

**He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room; then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair. **

**Hermione had thrown herself on to him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat, while Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.**

Sirius sniggered. "I wonder if that Hermione girl's got a crush on Harry," he said, and then laughed at the twin looks of horror that crossed James and Evans's faces.

"Oh Merlin," James said, "we're going to have to read about our _teenage_ son's crushes. That is gonna be _so_ weird, and potentially scarring. I'm never going to be able to look my kid in the eyes…" Lily nodded along with everything, though Sirius noted gleefully that she was also blushing like mad. No doubt she was thinking of the things that went through her head when she had a crush on a bloke, which judging by the shade of her face were not exactly pure thoughts.

Remus coughed awkwardly, bringing the attention of the room back to him. "Well then," he said uncomfortably. "I suppose I should keep reading." He did go back to reading, but the mood of the room was considerably lighter.

"**HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! **

**We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless - but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got things to tell us - the Dementors! When we heard - and that Ministry hearing - it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations -"**

"Um, you okay there, Remus?" James asked, as everyone gaped at Remus while he sped up in his reading and started wheezing near the end of the paragraph. "You know you're allowed to breath, right?"

Remus glared at Prongs. "There wasn't a single period in that whole paragraph!" he huffed. Sirius raised his eyebrows. Hopefully this wasn't a common thing with the girl. They'd never hear anyone talk again in the book if this was how she talked constantly.

"**Let him breathe, Hermione," said Ron, grinning as he closed the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several more inches during their month apart, making him taller and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose, bright red hair and freckles were the same.**

"Sounds like a lovely looking bloke, that one does," Sirius said, sarcasm heavy on the words.

Evans sent him a rather ominous looking smile at his comment. "Why Sirius," she said sweetly, "I didn't know you swung that way."

Sirius glared at Evans as James laughed and even Remus interrupted his reading to snort with laughter. "Trust me Evans," he replied, letting his glare turn to a smirk, "if I did swing that way, you'd know by now. I'm not cowardly enough to hide who I am, and it would have been terribly unfair to the other boys to deny them my sexy body." Evans spluttered, and he grinned in triumph. When Remus moved on with the reading after a slight pause for a long suffering sigh, Sirius let his gaze slide briefly to his little brother.

Regulus was glaring at Sirius, but there was also a hint of shame and fear in his eyes. It wasn't confirmation of Sirius's suspicions, but it was more evidence.

**Still beaming, Hermione let go of Harry, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound and something white soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder.**

"**Hedwig!"**

**The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.**

"Aww," Lily cooed, "I'm glad they're back together." Sirius laughed quietly at the mental images that statement brought on, especially in light of her comments from a moment ago, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"**She's been in a right state," said Ron. "Pecked us half to death when she brought your last letters, look at this -"**

**He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut.**

"**Oh, yeah," Harry said. "Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know -"**

"No Harry," Sirius cried. "Don't be sorry. Demand answers!" James and Evans made noises of agreement.

"**We wanted to give them to you, mate," said Ron. "Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us -"**

"**- swear not to tell me," said Harry. "Yeah, Hermione's already said."**

**The warm glow that had flared inside him at the sight of his two best friends was extinguished as something icy flooded the pit of his stomach. All of a sudden - after yearning to see them for a solid month — he felt he would rather Ron and Hermione left him alone.**

**There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of the others.**

"Well, this got awkward fast," James muttered. Evans whacked him on the shoulder and made shushing noises.

"Awkward or not, Harry's probably about to get a lot more information than he has for the entire rest of what we've read so far, so shush."

"**He seemed to think it was best," said Hermione rather breathlessly. "Dumbledore, I mean."**

"**Right," said Harry. He noticed that her hands, too, bore the marks of Hedwigs beak and found that he was not at all sorry.**

"**I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles -" Ron began.**

"**Yeah?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows. "Have either of you been attacked by Dementors this summer?"**

"Ugh, stop talking about what we already know and demand answers already!" James cried. Sirius agreed with his best mate. It was time for answers, not time for teenage angst, he thought grumpily.

"**Well, no-but that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time-"**

"That's not going to go down well," Snape and Evans said at the same time. After glaring at the slimy Slytherin for a moment, James and Sirius both turned to Evans, asking why not. "Well," she pointed out, "he's an already moody teenage boy, and his friends just revealed that they knew he was being followed everywhere, something he didn't know. It's one more thing to add to his list of things he's been left out of the loop on." Sirius had to give the girl a point. He would have been quite pissed off if information about him was being kept from him by his friends while he sat around being hated by his relatives, and a statement like that would not help.

**Harry felt a great jolt in his guts as though he had just missed a step going downstairs. So everyone had known he was being followed, except him.**

"**Didn't work that well, though, did it?" said Harry, doing his utmost to keep his voice even. "Had to look after myself after all, didn't I?"**

"**He was so angry," said Hermione, in an almost awestruck voice. "Dumbledore. We saw him. When he found out Mundungus had left before his shift had ended. He was scary.**

Sirius glanced at Dumbledore, as did a few others. He looked merely thoughtful at the moment; Sirius had a hard time imagining the kindly old headmaster being truly angry. Even when the Marauders pulled some of their biggest pranks and got taken to see him, he always had a hint of a twinkle in his eyes. For the last while of reading, he had been mostly quiet, and he hadn't seemed to get really ruffled by anything.

Still, Sirius reflected, this is the man who defeated Grindlewald and is known for being the only wizard You-Know-Who is afraid of. The sight of a truly angry Dumbledore would likely be right terrifying.

"**Well, I'm glad he left," Harry said coldly. "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at Privet Drive all summer."**

"Takes after his father with his short-sightedness and disregard for personal safety, then," Evans said, rolling her eyes at James.

To Sirius's surprise, it was Severus who responded. "I seem to remember you doing magic and getting severely reprimanded for it twice during summer break before third year, because you were trying to impress Petunia," he said.

Watching Evans blush and glare at the Slytherin, Sirius found himself wondering, as he had a few times throughout the reading, at the camaraderie that occasionally cropped up between his best mate's crush and his favorite prank target. He knew they had occasionally hung out in previous years, but he also knew that Snape loved the dark arts and would no doubt be a Death Eater soon. What he was even doing reading this book with them was a bit of a mystery. The best explanation Sirius had been able to come up with so far was that maybe Prongs's future kid wanted the Death Eater nearby at the end of the reading so they could easily neutralize him.

"**Aren't you… aren't you worried about the Ministry of Magic hearing?" said Hermione quietly.**

"**No," Harry lied defiantly. **

"If he's as good as Prongs at lying, they'll see right through that," Sirius muttered, glancing at his best mate fondly. James didn't have a clue how to hide his emotions, unlike Sirius who had become quite good at hiding his darker moods from his friends over the years.

**He walked away from them, looking around, with Hedwig nestled contentedly on his shoulder, but this room was not likely to raise his spirits. It was dank and dark. A blank stretch of canvas in an ornate picture frame was all that relieved the bareness of the peeling walls, and as Harry passed it he thought he heard someone, who was lurking out of sight, snigger.**

"**So why's Dumbledore been so keen to keep me in the dark?" Harry asked, still trying hard to keep his voice casual. "Did you - er - bother to ask him at all?"**

"You'd better have a good reason," Evans piped up, giving Dumbledore a hard look.

**He glanced up just in time to see them exchanging a look that told him he was behaving just as they had feared he would. It did nothing to improve his temper.**

Remus groaned as he read that, and Sirius empathized fully. There was no way this conversation wasn't going to end in yelling.

"**We told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on," said Ron. "We did, mate. But he's really busy now, we've only seen him twice since we came here and he didn't have much time, he just made us swear not to tell you important stuff when we wrote, he said the owls might be intercepted."**

"That's actually a good point, and a good reason not to put important information in owl messages," Regulus pointed out. Sirius glared at him, as did James, but Remus just kept reading.

"**He could still've kept me informed if he'd wanted to," Harry said shortly. "You're not telling me he doesn't know ways to send messages without owls."**

"What other ways do you know of sending messages, Professor?" Evans asked. Sirius just wanted to hear more of the story, but Remus had paused as well at this question. Of course Moony would always be interested in new academic knowledge, Sirius thought with a mental eye roll.

Dumbledore grinned at Evans. "I think," he began, "that young Mr. Potter may be referring to secret methods the Order has been working on devising. I shall tell you about those methods later if the book does not reveal them. In the meantime, perhaps Mr. Lupin should continue reading." He smiled benevolently at all the raised eyebrows his completely non-explanatory explanation had generated. After a moment, Remus took his advice and began reading again.

**Hermione glanced at Ron and then said, "I thought that, too. But he didn't want you to know anything."**

"**Maybe he thinks I can't be trusted," said Harry, watching their expressions.**

"**Don't be thick," said Ron, looking highly disconcerted.**

"**Or that I can't take care of myself."**

"**Of course he doesn't think that!" said Hermione anxiously. **

"**So how come I have to stay at the Dursleys' while you two get to join in everything that's going on here?" said Harry, the words tumbling over one another in a rush, his voice growing louder with every word. "How come you two are allowed to know everything that's going on?"**

Sirius had been growing progressively more annoyed with each sentence, and James was glowering as well. "I really wish someone would just _tell_ him what's going on!" James cried, throwing his hands in the air.

"**We're not!" Ron interrupted. "Mum won't let us near the meetings, she says we're too young -" But before he knew it, Harry was shouting.**

Remus paused and skimmed silently over the next few paragraphs. Everyone looked at him curiously until he glanced over at Kreacher's corner and said, "Um, this next bit looks like it references a lot of stuff we don't know about."

Kreacher shuffled forward, and Sirius glared at the ugly elf as he spoke. "I is having letters from Master Harry, but he is saying yous is having to read to this part first. Kreacher can be giving you the letters now, and they will be explaining Master Harry's first years as much as you need to know." Kreacher held up a few letters that he had pulled out of, well, Sirius wasn't entirely sure where he pulled them from and didn't want to think too hard about it.

There was a moment of silence, then a mad dash towards the elf standing in his corner. Before anyone could reach Kreacher, the letters floated up out of his hands. Sirius whipped around to follow the path of the letters as they floated gently through the air into Professor Dumbledore's hands.

"I shall read these, if the rest of you don't mind," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling madly. Prongs returned to his seat immediately and adopted the same intent listening posture that Dumbledore had previously held while listening to his students read. Sirius snorted and followed Prongs; Evans and Moony followed him, and the slimy Slytherins went back to their own side of the room after exchanging glares Sirius and his friends.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and opened the first letter, which had a large number 1 stamped across the parchment. With twinkling eyes, he began to read.

"As you may have already guessed, when Harry was a young child, Voldemort attacked his family. Though James and Lily Potter died, Harry simultaneously survived the killing curse and caused Voldemort to lose his body, which caused him to go into hiding for many years. Harry subsequently became famous throughout the wizarding world, but was sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle on his mother's side, as they were his last living relatives."

Here Dumbledore paused, and there was a moment of silence for the lives of Lily and James, as well as their parents who must have also died. Looking over at the best friend who was practically his brother, Sirius felt a sharp pang in his chest at the way James was clinging to Evans. Both of them had pained looks on their faces, though James also looked as though he could still hardly believe it. Sirius couldn't blame Prongs for it, either. James had always had a good life; he had loving parents, a nice house, and popularity in school. He had always been a lighthearted and happy person, and Sirius hated himself for not being able to protect his friend against the horrors that had happened in his future. He swore to himself that he would make sure the future changed. He wouldn't let his best mate and his best mate's kid suffer as they had in these books.

After a moment, Dumbledore began reading again into the silence. The twinkle in his eyes had gone out. "On his eleventh birthday, Harry received his Hogwarts letter and learned his story. That same year, Voldemort had regained enough strength and a follower to make a bid for a new body. He set his sights on the Philosopher's Stone, a magical object that creates an elixir which allows the drinker immortality and unlimited wealth." Sirius's eyebrows raised at this. Immortality and unlimited wealth would be unthinkably bad in Voldemort's hands. "The stone was moved to Hogwarts, where it was protected by enchantments from all of the professors. Unfortunately, Voldemort's servant was also posing as a Hogwarts professor, and made a bid to steal the stone at the end of the year. Fortunately, Harry, Ron, and I had figured out that something was wrong during the year, and we went after Professor Quirrel."

"Ravenclaw a few years above us," Sirius muttered, causing Evans to glance sideways at him and make shushing sounds as Dumbledore read on.

"The three of us made it through the enchantments, though Ron was sacrificed himself at an early stage and was knocked unconscious, and I later was forced to turn back at another trial, leaving Harry to face Quirrell and Voldemort, who was in the school with Quirrell, by himself. Harry held Quirrell and Voldemort off long enough for Dumbledore to find us, and Voldemort's plan was thwarted, while Harry survived his second encounter with the dark wizard. That was the end of our first year."

There was silence for a moment, before Prongs broke it with a yell. "My son is awesome!" Evans whacked him over the head.

"This troublemaking gene clearly comes from you," she said, rather snidely in Sirius's opinion.

He grinned at her, saying, "Oh really Evans? And I'm sure all those times we caught you and Sni-Snape trying to spy on us in our first few years were just my imagination?"

Evans blushed and huffed at him. Before more arguments could break out, Dumbledore interceded with twinkling eyes. Sirius was annoyed that Dumbledore was there to keep stopping the fights that Sirius wanted to have, but his more practical side (it was small, but it _did _exist) knew it was probably a good thing to have the powerful headmaster there. Still, he sent Evans a smirk as the headmaster started reading again. He had never really thought she was good enough for James; she never seemed to see all the good parts of Prongs, only the bad things, and she had once been friends with Snivellus. When she noticed and scowled back at him, he turned back to Dumbledore and began listening to the tale of his future godson's second year.

"During our second year, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and we learned that Harry was a Parselmouth." Dumbledore was forced to stop reading almost immediately as exclamations broke out throughout the room.

"Harry's a _what?_" came from James at the same time that multiple voices shouted variations on, "The Chamber of Secrets is just a legend!"

Dumbledore hushed everyone and spoke. "The Chamber of Secrets is not a legend and has in fact been opened before, though I must admit I am quite curious about how it is being opened this time. As for the Parseltongue, that intrigues me as well, but it is possible that if Harry survived a killing curse from Voldemort that caused Voldemort to lose his powers, a few abilities such as parseltongue may have been transferred to young Harry."

James looked sick at the thought that some of You-Know-Who's abilities may have been transferred to his kid, and Sirius empathized. He didn't want his godson to have anything to do with the stupid dark wizard. He also realized he should stop calling the bastard You-Know-Who. Sure he was terrifying and evil and easy to blame for why Sirius's family hated him, but he didn't deserve to be called by the ridiculous moniker the wizarding world had given him. From now on, Sirius decided to call him Voldemort.

This Chamber of Secrets stuff seemed pretty bad, though. Now that Dumbledore had confirmed the existence of the mythical place, Sirius could vaguely recall his dear old mum mentioning something about it being opened during her time at school, and how a muggleborn had died. He didn't have too much time to wonder about this though, as Dumbledore was giving everyone a stern look and reading again.

"This year we learned quite a few things. We learned that Hagrid was expelled because he was framed for opening the Chamber during his own time at Hogwarts. Harry met a House Elf named Dobby who worked for the Malfoy's and tried to save Harry's life multiple times by getting him thrown out of Hogwarts or injured enough to leave Hogwarts, which we later learned was because the one opening the chamber was trying to kill Harry. We also learned that Voldemort, via a Diary enchanted to hold a memory of his sixteen year old self, Tom Riddle, was the one enchanting a student and causing the chamber to be opened. However, I'm getting ahead of myself." Glancing around, Sirius noted gladly that he wasn't the only one who was extremely confused. "Messages appeared on the walls throughout the year about the Chamber and several muggleborns were attacked, though no one died, and at one point Harry, Ron, and I made Polyjuice Potion to impersonate three Slytherins and find out if Draco Malfoy, Lucius and Narcissa's son, was the heir of Slytherin, but he was not." Aside from the confusion engendered by this letter and awesomeness that Prongs's son had broken into the Slytherin common room in second year with Polyjuice Potion, Sirius found himself wondering if this girl (because it was clearly Harry's friend Hermione who was writing) ever said or wrote things in a way that didn't deprive all readers of oxygen just to get through one sentence.

"Unfortunately, I was petrified part way through the year, but I had discovered before then that the monster was a basilisk. Ron's sister turned out to be the student being controlled by Tom Riddle's diary, and she was taken into the chamber near the end of the year, prompting Harry and Ron to go after her, after they figured out that it was a basilisk in the chamber and the entrance was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They went into the chamber, and Harry slew the basilisk with the help of Fawkes and the Sword of Gryffindor. Ron got trapped with the Defense professor that year, Gildroy Lockheart, who had been stealing all of his stories from other people with memory charms and caused a cave in in the chamber when he tried to memory charm Harry and Ron with a broken wand.

"After Harry saved Ron's sister Ginny, they returned to the point where Ron was with Lockheart to find that he had cleared away enough rubble to get them through, and Fawkes helped them exit the chamber-oh also Harry destroyed the diary with a fang from the dead basilisk. And that was Harry's second year at Hogwarts. Sorry if they're a bit confusing; Harry is adamant that I keep these short, though I don't really know how you can get everything you need out of them without a full and proper book like you'll get for fifth year and up."

Sirius snorted at the last line. Prongs seemed incapable of speech. His mouth hung slightly open and his eyes were glazed. To be fair, though, Evans didn't look much better. Sirius leaned over and poked his friend. Prongs looked over at him, took a breath, and said, "Sirius, mate, I think my son and his friends have officially passed the marauders as coolest. Hogwarts students. Ever."

"Saving his friend's sister is really nice of him, but I still blame you for how he apparently nearly dies every year," Evans said to James, breaking out of her own trance.

Across the room, Snivellus snorted. "Please, Lily, it's clear the kid inherited Potter's arrogance and lack of concern for anyone else. I bet he only did it to make people like him more." Sirius and James both glared at the slimy Slytherin, but Dumbledore interceded yet again. Stupid Headmaster.

"Mr. Snape, do I need to remind you that fighting will not be tolerated? That goes for you as well, Misters Potter and Black. Now, we still have two more years to read about." He opened the next letter, one with a large 3 stamped on it, and began to read.

"During our third year, we learned that Harry's parents had known that Voldemort was going after them, and they had gone into hiding. Someone who knew their location betrayed them to Voldemort, and Sirius was framed for both the betrayal and the murder of the real betrayer, who did not die but rather went into hiding. Since the Ministry was mind-bogglingly corrupt, they threw Sirius into Azakaban WITHOUT A TRIAL just so they could seem like they were doing something, and he rotted there for twelve years before he broke out and went after the real betrayer."

"Well, I guess we know what you did, now," James said, interrupting Dumbledore to stare at Sirius, who felt extremely uncomfortable. How could no one have fought for him? Where were Remus and Peter while he was apparently being tossed without a trial into the worst place imaginable?

He ignored the look of pity and sorrow that Dumbledore sent him as the headmaster began to read again. His future sucked.

"That year, Remus Lupin was hired as our defense professor-" Dumbledore paused as Sirius and James practically tackled Remus and congratulated him on the job, in spite of him reminding them that they already knew he had been a professor.

"Remus Lupin was hired as our defense professor, and dementors were placed around the castle to protect Harry from Sirius, because everyone thought Sirius was after Harry." Sirius and James scowled at this, and Remus looked down when they turned those scowls on him. "Sirius did actually come to Hogwarts, because it turned out the real Death Eater was at Hogwarts, of course, and by the end of the year, Harry, Ron, and I met Sirius in person, discovered he was innocent, lost the real Death Eater, and ended up saving Sirius's life with my time turner when the Minister of Magic didn't believe he was innocent, but Dumbledore did. And that was the end of our third year. Much less dangerous than the previous two. Oh, also Professor Lupin taught Harry the Patronus Charm, but Harry tells me you should already know that by this point in the reading."

Sirius was still glaring at Remus. "Why didn't you believe in me, Moony?" he asked. Remus looked back at him defiantly.

"Clearly I believe you by the time Harry enters fifth year," Remus said. "Maybe I did believe in you, but no one would trust me because I'm not exactly the first sort of person the Ministry looks to for character witnesses." The bitterness in Moony's voice immediately made Sirius feel ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry Remy," he said, giving Remus a one armed hug. "I'm sure you did everything you could. I bet you're even the reason Harry and Co. figured out I'm innocent! Hermione probably just forgot to mention that bit." He beamed at his friend, who smiled fondly back.

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again as he opened the last letter, the one with a number 4 stamped on it. "During our fourth year, the Triwizard Tournament was brought to Hogwarts." Everyone perked up at this. It had been discontinued a few years earlier due to a high death toll. This should be interesting. "Unfortunately, there was yet another Death Eater at Hogwarts that year, and Harry was entered."

Lily interrupted at this, and Sirius couldn't blame after the sentence Dumbledore had just read. "Really," she said, "_another_ Death Eater? Professor, I'm beginning to worry about the ability of Hogwarts staff to NOT LET DEATH EATERS INTO HOGWARTS!" The yelling began very suddenly, and left everyone staring at Lily in surprise. Sirius had, of course, heard her yell before, but it was still always a bit of a shock to hear just how loud the girl could be. Looking around to Dumbledore, Sirius had the strange experience of seeing his headmaster looking ashamed. It was a strange look, like seeing Remus act stupid or hearing James profess a love of dark arts.

After an awkward moment of silence, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I can assure you, Miss Evans, I will make every effort to ensure that the future described in these letters and this book does not come to pass. The whole point of having this information is so that we can build a happier future in which these atrocities will never take place." Evans mumbled an apology, and Dumbledore went back to reading the last letter.

"Harry was given covert aid from the Death Eater throughout the tournament, and at the end the Triwizard Cup was turned into a portkey that took Harry to the graveyard housing the remains of Tom Riddle's muggle father. Unfortunately, another student, Cedric Diggory, got to the cup at the same time as Harry. They decided to take the cup at the same time to share the victory, and were both taken to the graveyard, where Cedric was killed immediately."

"That would explain the nightmares from earlier," Evans said softly, looking horrified.

"Harry was kept alive and used as part of the ritual that gave Voldemort back a body. He dueled Voldemort, who did not know that their wands were brother wands. The wands formed a connection which allowed Harry the time to form an escape plan, and once again he got away. Unfortunately, the ministry decided not to believe Harry, and when he left Hogwarts after his fourth year, they were already plotting ways to discredit him. Now you can return to your reading of the actual books and get proper information, instead of these hastily written letters I'm being forced to write by a pair of annoying, impatient gits."

James and Sirius laughed at the last line. It reminded Sirius of something Remus might say, though he couldn't imagine a situation where he'd be sending information into the past and making Remus write letters to people he had never known in the hopes that they would change the future.

"I swear," James said, still gazing at the letters in Dumbledore's hands in awe, "Harry and his friends are legitimately the most awesome people ever. I am so jealous of my own kid, and not even ashamed to admit it."

Sirius looked fondly at his best mate. While he acknowledged that Prongslet was seriously cool, he couldn't say he felt envy for the kid. From what they'd read, he had a horrible home life reminiscent of Sirius's own, and while Sirius loved pranking at school and enjoyed the spotlight and adoration that being attractive, intelligent, and just the right amount of darkly mysterious brought him, he was glad he didn't have to risk his life every year to get that attention. It also didn't sound like all the attention Prongslet got was good attention, and Sirius didn't like bad attention. James had never really experienced how unpleasant it was to have everyone around him hate him and look at him as though he were worthless and disgusting, and while Sirius would never wish that on his friend, it did make him a bit oblivious sometimes.

He was brought out of his musings by Remus clearing his throat. "Um, shall I go back to reading, now?" he asked. Upon receiving confirmation from most of the room and sneers from the Slytherins, he picked the book back up, found his place, and began reading.

* * *

**AN:** So yeah, basically I'm really lazy. I've intended from the start for them to know about all of Harry's years in school, I just didn't want to go through all seven books. Thus, I decided that Kreature would have letters written by one of the trio that he would bring out when Harry started yelling about the stuff he's already done. It sort of made sense in my head; now I'm just hoping it wasn't just horribly annoying and didn't completely destroy the flow of the story. It did make this chapter really long, so I decided to break it up into two parts. Hopefully the next part will be up soon. I already have bits of it written.

Please tell me what you thought of the chapter. Aside from making me really happy, reviews can also help me improve my writing skills, if they're good reviews full of concrit and whatnot (hint hint nudge nudge).


	6. Chapter 6

As the group digested the exploits from Prongslet's first four years at Hogwarts, Remus took a deep breath and began reading.

"**SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE **"**THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT - WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"**

"Yeah, my kid is the most amazing kid ever," James said softly. Evans rolled her eyes, but Sirius was inclined to agree with James.

**Every bitter and resentful thought Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him: his frustration at the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been together without him, his fury at being followed and not told about it - all the feelings he was half-ashamed of finally burst their boundaries. Hedwig took fright at the noise and soared off to the top of the wardrobe again; Pigwidgeon twittered in alarm and zoomed even faster around their heads.**

"Poor owls," Lily muttered, looking unimpressed at her future kid's yelling. Sirius snorted. Trust Evans to have more sympathy for the animals than for her own offspring.

"**WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"**

Sirius glanced over Moony's shoulder. "Mooney!" he said, "If it's written in all caps, you're supposed to yell! That's how we'll know that Harry's yelling."

Remus gave him a very unimpressed look at and went back to reading totally wrong.

**Ron was standing there with his mouth half-open, clearly stunned and at a loss for anything to say, while Hermione looked on the verge of tears.**

"Well maybe you shouldn't have been keeping secrets from him that involved his welfare," Evans said with a frown. Sirius nodded along, glad that Evans was showing concern for the proper person.

"**BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"**

"**Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did -" Hermione began.**

"**CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR–"**

"**Well, he did -"**

Sirius glared at Dumbledore, along with James and Evans. Remus, of course, just kept reading.

"**FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON -"**

"And being abused by his family," Evans said, glaring at the book. Sirius glared with her, feeling a rare kinship. Families were supposed to love and protect each other, but some families ignored that memo.

"**We wanted to -"**

"**I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER -"**

Sirius snorted. "As if anyone would want to laugh while holed up in that place," he said bitterly. James shuffled closer, and Sirius leaned into his best mate, grateful that he no longer had to live in that awful place and hoping that he would never have to go back.

"**No, honest -"**

"**Harry we're really sorry!" said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears. "You're absolutely right, Harry - I'd be furious if it was me!"**

"Then why did you do it?" Evans asked, still glaring at the book.

"It's a book, Lily; it can't answer you," Snape said from his corner. As usual, Remus interrupted a possible argument by raising his voice and reading. He failed to respond to the glare that Sirius sent him, as well.

Sirius may not have been Evans's biggest fan, but that didn't mean he liked letting slimy Snivellus get away with mocking her.

**Harry glared at her, still breathing deeply, then turned away from them again, pacing up and down. Hedwig hooted glumly from the top of the wardrobe. There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below Harry's feet.**

"**What is this place, anyway?" he shot at Ron and Hermione.**

"**Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," said Ron at once.**

"**Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix -?"**

"No Harry, ask better questions. We already know the answer to that one," Evans said to the book, ignoring the eyerolls she got for talking to a book.

"**It's a secret society," said Hermione quickly. **

"**Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time."**

"**Who's in it?" said Harry, coming to a halt with his hands in his pockets.**

"**Quite a few people -"**

"**We've met about twenty of them," said Ron, "but we think there are more."**

**Harry glared at them.**

"**Well?" he demanded, looking from one to the other.**

"**Er," said Ron. "Well what?"**

"**Voldemort!" said Harry furiously, and both Ron and Hermione winced. **

As did most of the people in the room, including Sirius, though he scowled at himself for it.

"**What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?"**

"**We've told you, the Order don't let us in on their meetings," said Hermione nervously. "So we don't know the details - but we've got a general idea," she added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.**

"All good questions, all terrible answers," Evans said. Sirius had to agree with her.

"**Fred and George have invented Extendable Ears, see," said Ron. "They're really useful."**

Sirius perked up. This sounded interesting.

"**Extendable -?"**

"**Ears, yeah. Only we've had to stop using them lately because Mum found out and went berserk. Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum binning them. But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know -"**

"That's awesome!" James said, grinning. Sirius grinned back at him. They would have to see if the marauders could invent something like that; it would certainly come in useful for spying on slimy Slytherin gits.

"**Some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order -" said Hermione.**

"**And some of them are standing guard over something," said Ron. "They're always talking about guard duty."**

"Are they really that stupid?" Snape asked, speaking for the first time in a while. Sirius glared at him.

"Oh, so you know everything that Voldemort's doing, now?" he asked, swallowing his hesitation at speaking Voldemort's name.

Snape flinched at the name, but responded sneeringly. "Of course not, but it's obvious they were talking about standing guard over _Potter's_ brat. Or have you already forgotten the first few chapters?" His voice dripped with disdain, and both Sirius and James bristled, ignoring the exasperated sighs from Remus.

It was Evans who broke things up, though. "Could you both stop acting like children for just a little while?" She asked, managing to glare at both Snape and Sirius. Sirius switched his own glare to her, but Remus began reading again.

"**Couldn't have been me, could it?" said Harry sarcastically.**

Snape smirked, and Sirius ground his teeth. Alright, so it made sense that they were talking about Harry. That didn't mean the smug git wasn't still a slimy bastard.

"**Oh, yeah," said Ron, with a look of dawning comprehension.**

**Harry snorted. He walked around the room again, looking anywhere but at Ron and Hermione.**

"**So, what have you two been doing, if you're not allowed in meetings?" he demanded. "You said you'd been busy"'**

"**We have," said Hermione quickly. "We've been decontaminating this house,**

"Tell me you read that wrong!" Sirius said imploringly to Remus. "I'm pretty sure even in the future it'll be illegal to torture children!"

"It's not_ that_ bad," Regulus said defensively from his spot besides Snape. Sirius snorted. Trust darling Reggie to stick up for their so-called family no matter what, even in the matter of their very obviously dangerous and not child friendly house.

**it's been empty for ages and stuff's been breeding in here.**

"Merlin, it's gotten worse!" Sirius said, flopping back in his seat and throwing his hands up. "He turned to brother. "Tell me that doesn't sound gross," he challenged. Perhaps luckily for both of the brothers, Remus raised his voice to a rather squeaky pitch and read faster.

**We've managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms and I think we're doing the drawing room tomo-"**

**With two loud cracks, Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers, had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room. Pigwidgeon twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.**

Evans snorted. "Still being mean to the animals, I see," she muttered.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"**Stop doing that!" Hermione said weakly to the twins, who were as vividly red-haired as Ron, though stockier and slightly shorter.**

"**Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."**

"**You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," said Fred, also beaming.**

"**There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."**

"Sounds like he got his lungs from you, Lily-flower," James said, staring goopily at Evans. She glared at him, while Sirius pretended to vomit at his mate's tone.

"**You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" asked Harry grumpily.**

"Either that, or they're idiot rule breaking Gryffindors who don't care if they get splinched," Regulus broke in snidely.

"It was barely a scratch," Sirius retorted, glaring at his brother and ignoring the confused looks from Evans and Remus. He had only confided in James after the embarrassing incident the previous year, when he had attempted to Apparate away from his house and gotten five feet across his room and a splinched leg for his trouble.

Regulus glared back with equal venom and a trace of a sneer. "Oh please," he said, "you were bleeding all over the floor. You couldn't walk for two days, and I had to tell mum you went on a hunger strike, and that's why you weren't leaving your room."

"I'm not going to talk about this with you anymore," Sirius said imperiously, though he flinched internally. "Remus, please keep reading." Remus obliged, but Sirius and Regulus continued to glare at each other for several more moments before Sirius finally looked away. As much as he hated to admit it, Regulus was right. He had been too reckless and was lucky he hadn't died. If Regulus hadn't been nearby and helped him patch himself up, then distracted their mother and smuggled him food while he recovered, he may have even lost his leg.

'Please let him end up on our side and _safe_,' Sirius thought, staring sadly at the book.

"**With distinction," said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh colored string.**

"It seems those two at least passed their test before trying to Apparate," James said, leaning over to whisper in Sirius's ear. The comment got a weak laugh from Sirius, and he grinned at his best mate in thanks. He needed his brother, but he wouldn't be anywhere good without James, either.

"**It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs," said Ron.**

"**Time is Galleons, little brother," said Fred. **

"**Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears," he added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, and held up the string which Harry now saw was trailing out on to the landing. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."**

"Those could be dangerous in the hands of the wrong person," Evans said, staring at Snape. To Sirius's surprise the two exchanged swift grins as though thinking of someone only they knew, before Evans appeared to catch herself and turned away.

Looking around the room, Sirius saw that no one else seemed to have noticed the exchange of smiles except Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling as he looked between the two.

"**You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the Ear, "if Mum sees one of them again…"**

"**It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having," said Fred.**

**The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.**

"**Oh, hello, Harry!" said Ron's younger sister, Ginny, brightly. **

"This is turning into quite the party," Sirius said. James laughed, and Evans rolled her eyes.

"Please, we'd need at least twenty more people and the food would have to be stolen to start matching the parties you two have," she said. Though her voice was rather derisive, Sirius merely grinned at her.

"That's right, Evans," he said, "James-y and I do throw the best parties. And speaking of ill-gotten food, don't think we haven't noticed you sneaking back to the common room at midnight with food from the kitchens every time exams roll around."

Evans blushed and turned away from him, but even Remus snickered before he continued his reading. Dumbledore's eyes still doing their maddening twinkling.

"**I thought I heard your voice."**

**Turning to Fred and George, she said, "It's no-go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."**

"**How d'you know?" said George, looking crestfallen.**

"**Tonks told me how to find out," said Ginny. **

"I always knew Andy would raise a great kid," Sirius said, grinning at the thought of his older cousin. "She always did have so much more sense than either Cissy or Bella."

**"You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."**

**Fred heaved a deep sigh.**

"**Shame. I really fancied finding out what old**

Remus choked and glanced across the room, before hurrying forward with the reading before anyone could question him.

**I really fancied fiding out what old Snape's been up to."**

"Maybe we're finally going to hear about what a slimy Death Eater you'll turn out to be," James said viciously, and Sirius nodded along. Evans, on the other hand, reached over and smacked James across the back of his head, causing him to let out a yelp of pain.

"Maybe he wouldn't be a slimy Death Eater if you lot didn't torment him all the time!" Evans yelled. She immediately turned away to Snape to say, "Though this doesn't mean I'll ever forgive you if you are a Death Eater!"

A cough interrupted the shouts and angry mutters brewing throughout the room, and everyone turned to Dumbledore. "I do believe that right now it would be best to continue reading," he said in a soft, firm voice. "I doubt we would have been sent to learn about the future with one Death Eater in our midst."

"**Snape!" said Harry quickly **(Remus read hesitantly, voice slower and softer than usual)**. "Is he here?"**

"**Yeah," said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds; Fred and Ginny followed. "Giving a report. Top secret."**

"**Git," said Fred idly.**

"**He's on our side now," said Hermione reprovingly.**

There was a brief silence as everyone digested that, and then:

"AW SEV!" Lily launched herself at her old friend, and Sirius raised his eyebrows in shock.

'Aw Sev' had not quite been his reaction to hearing the news that the greasy git was actually a good guy in the future. When he looked over at James, his best mate was looking very displeased to see his new girlfriend hugging his enemy. Sure, it was always good to have more people on the good side, but Sirius would have much happier if this particular guy had ended up being in the room for a more negative reason. He couldn't imagine working _with_ Snivellus in the future.

He was broken out of his musingly when a loud SLAP resounded through the room. He looked up just in time to a red mark fading on Snape's cheek as his smile slid into a shocked frown. Evans stood over him, saying, "I am glad that you came to your senses in the future and stopped associating with horrible bigots, but _why _does my son, and his friends, for that matter, sound like they don't like you?" She looked around at the sudden silence in the room and blushed a bit. "What," she said defensively, "Kreacher only said no using _magic_ to attack people." Sirius didn't think he would ever understand why on earth his best mate liked her so much. She was clearly a bit bipolar.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, once more bringing the attention to him. "Be that as it may, Miss Evans, perhaps a better way to get your answer would be to listen to the books? I rather highly doubt that Mister Snape knows what his future self has done." Evans blushed again and nodded. She looked torn for a moment, before a chair materialized halfway between the marauders and Snape. After a surprised moment, Evans sat down in it, causing Snape to smile and James to glare.

**Ron snorted. "Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us."**

Evans raised her eyebrows at Snape, who shrank back into his own seat.

"**Bill doesn't like him, either," said Ginny, as though that settled the matter.**

**Harry was not sure his anger had abated yet; but his thirst for information was now overcoming his urge to keep shouting. He sank on to the bed opposite the others.**

"**Is Bill here?" he asked. "I thought he was working in Egypt?"**

"**He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order," said Fred. "He says he misses the tombs, but;" he smirked, "there are compensations."**

"**What d'you mean?"**

"**Remember old Fleur Delacour?" said George. "She's got a job at Gringotts to eempwve 'er Eeenglish -"**

"**And Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons," sniggered Fred.**

Sirius and James started sniggering as well, while Remus gave them an amused look over the book. Evans rolled her eyes, of course.

"**Charlie's in the Order, too," said George, "but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."**

"**Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked. The last he had heard, the third Weasley brother**

"Wait," Evans said. "Are all these new people also siblings of Ron? Merlin, how many siblings does that kid _have_?"

"Six so far, if my count is right," James said.

Sirius was impressed. No doubt his dear mum would have drowned herself before having seven children. She couldn't even handle the two children she did have.

**was working in the Department of International Magical Co-operation at the Ministry of Magic. **

**At Harry's words, all the Weasleys and Hermione exchanged darkly significant looks.**

"**Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told Harry in a tense voice.**

"**Why not?"**

"**Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying," Fred said.**

Sirius grimaced at the book. It sounded like another family was being torn apart by stupidity.

"**It's been awful," said Ginny sadly.**

"**I think we're well shut of him," said George, with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.**

"**What's happened?" Harry said.**

"**Percy and Dad had a row," said Fred. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts."**

"**It was the first week back after term ended," said Ron. "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."**

"**You're kidding?" said Harry.**

**Though he knew perfectly well that Percy was highly ambitious, Harry's impression was that Percy had not made a great success of his first job at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had committed the fairly large oversight of failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort (not that the Ministry had believed it - they all thought Mr. Crouch had gone mad).**

"Well, that was left out of the letters," Evans said. "Honestly, with the amount of Death Eaters, curses, and monsters my son seems to experience on a day to day basis, it's a wonder he's managed to survive." She glanced at Kreacher's corner for the first time in a while. "If not for the fact that I could have sworn Kreacher said he was sent by Harry, I would probably be gearing up for at least half a dozen terror induced heart attacks in this book."

"**Yeah, we were all surprised," said George, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain."**

"**So how come they promoted him?"**

Sirius had a sneaking suspicion that he knew why. He'd heard his parents talking about the ministry often enough to know that they didn't always operate fairly or straightforwardly.

"**That's exactly what we wondered," said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling. "He came home really pleased with himself - even more pleased than usual, if you can imagine that - and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts: Junior Assistant to the Minister. **

James whistled. "That is a fancy title for someone so young."

**He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."**

"**Only Dad wasn't," said Fred grimly.**

"**Why not?" said Harry.**

"**Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore," said George.**

"That's new," Sirius said, raising an eyebrow. His classmates all looked confused as well. Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked more pensive and sad.

"**Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."**

"Well that's completely stupid," James said.

At the same time, Snape sneered, "Maybe I should have joined the Death Eaters, if they ministry's going to make things this easy for them." At the multitude of glares he received, he hunched in on himself and ground out, "What? It was a joke."

"**Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," said George.**

"**Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession."**

"Muggles are cool!" Sirius shouted. After all, without muggles, he wouldn't have been able to post pictures of pretty muggle girls on motorcycles all over his walls. They were the only thingshe wished he could have taken from his old home when he ran away, but then again, the permanent sticking charms on them probably ensured that his mother never entered his old room without having an aneurysm.

"**But what's that got to do with Percy?" asked Harry, confused.**

Sirius watched as Snape opened his mouth to comment, glanced at Evans, then shut his mouth and resumed his silence.

"**I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family - and Dumbledore."**

James gave Sirius a sad look before saying, "This is why You-Know-, well, Voldemort," he gulped, "needs to be brought down. He doesn't even have to lift a finger and he's still destroying families."

**Harry let out a low whistle.**

"**Bet Percy loved that."**

**Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way.**

"**He went completely berserk. He said - well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry **

"His reputation's only lousy because of people like my mother," Sirius said with a growl.

Of course this prompted golden boy Regulus to defend the evil bitch. "Please, it sounds like Weasley does enough damage to his own reputation with his muggle obsessions. Just because mother recognizes the stupidity of it doesn't mean she's to blame."

The two glared at each other while Remus continued to read nervously.

**and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been - you know - not had a lot of money, I mean -"**

"**What?" said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.**

Sirius had not realized the Weasleys were poor, though he supposed with seven kids it would be easy to run low on money for families not as well off as his or James's. Sometimes it was easy to forget that not every wizard kid was raised with wealth.

For the first time in a few chapters, Sirius thought about the last marauder, Peter. He was a mousey boy and easy to forget (though Sirius's conscious nagged at him sometimes about whether Peter was really easy to forget, or if Sirius just wasn't a very good friend). His family was certainly not wealthy; he always wore second-hand robes and used a second-hand wand as well, which showed in his spell work.

For the first time since they had begun reading, Sirius began to feel worried about his friend's absence. Surely he wouldn't choose to abandon his friends once they left school, as this Weasley kid had done to his family?

"**I know," said Ron in a low voice. "And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he - Percy - knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family any more. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."**

"Well except for the names, that sounds an awful lot like a certain brother of mine," Regulus said, staring at Sirius.

"Well I say the names make all the difference!" James said, jumping in to defend Sirius before he could think of his own comeback. He smiled gratefully at Prongs, who smiled back.

Of course, Regulus wasn't done. "Oh really?" he asked. "That sounds awfully bigoted of you, Potter, to claim that names matter so much."

Once again, a brewing fight was interrupted by Dumbledore. "I think," he said, "that we have had quite enough fights and impolite discourse, today. While I have been informed that it was of utmost importance to include you all in hearing this information, if you continue to show yourselves incapable of civility, I will have to ban all of you from the reading."

There was a chorus of protests from everyone, which Dumbledore calmly interrupted. "All you must do to not get yourselves banned is to be civil to each other from here on out, regardless of house or personal feelings. I don't think that should be too tall an order. Besides, eventually we shall have to take a break for dinner and bed. I'm sure you can figure out ways to solve your differences while your Headmaster is not in the same room."

Regulus and Sirius continued to glare at each other. They could wait, though.

**Harry swore under his breath. He had always liked Percy least of Ron's brothers, but he had never imagined he would say such things to Mr. Weasley.**

"**Mum's been in a right state," said Ron dully. "You know - crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work - ignores him, I s'pose."**

"**But Percy must know Voldemort's back," said Harry slowly. "He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof."**

Sirius ground his teeth, holding in his comments. Sometimes family _were_ just stupid, no matter how smart they seemed in school.

"**Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row," said Ron, shooting Harry a furtive look.**

"**Percy said the only evidence was your word and… I dunno… he didn't think it was good enough."**

"**Percy takes the Daily Prophet seriously," said Hermione tartly, and the others all nodded.**

"**What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding him warily.**

"Oh great, and now it seems people don't like Harry either," Evans said scathingly. "Though I suppose if he's the one who saw V-Voldemort come back, then _of course_ the best thing to do would be to say that Harry's gone mad or something."

James stood up and wandered awkwardly closer to Evans, sinking into a chair that appeared next to hers. "At least his friends and Dumbledore know he's right," James said to her.

"**Haven't - haven't you been getting the Daily Prophet!" Hermione asked nervously.**

"**Yeah, I have!" said Harry.**

"**Have you - er - been reading it thoroughly?" Hermione asked, still more anxiously.**

"**Not cover to cover," said Harry defensively. **

"Let me guess," Evans said. "It's all snide remarks in the opinions section? After all, as long as it's an opinion, no one needs proof of anything." She sounded sullen, an odd emotion for Evans, and Sirius was suddenly unpleasantly reminded of the rumors he and Remus had started in third year about Evans and a few of her friends. They had not been very nice rumors.

"**If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it?"**

"Not if they're trying to suppress it," James said.

**The others flinched at the sound of the name. Hermione hurried on, "Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they - um - they mention you a couple of times a week."**

"**But I'd have seen -"**

"**Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't," said Hermione, shaking her head. "I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke."**

"Sounds like I was right," Evans said, tone back to angry.

James reached out hesitantly to pat her hand. "Remember," he said, "we're going to change this. No one will have to worry about Voldemort coming back, because we're going to kill him before any of these kids are born."

"I think of few of these kids are already born, if one of them's already out of school, mate," Sirius couldn't help but add. James, ever the mature one, stuck his tongue out.

"**What d'you -?"**

"**It's quite nasty, actually," said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. "They're just building on Rita's stuff."**

"Rita Skeeter, that Slytherin from a few years above us?" Remus asked, turning to Sirius. It was Evans who answered, though.

"Probably," she said. "The girl was a vicious gossip." Evans would know. Rita Skeeter had been the driving force behind getting their third year rumors about Evans out to the general Hogwarts population.

"**But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?"**

"**Oh, no, she's kept her promise - not that she's got any choice," Hermione added with satisfaction. **

Several people raised their eyebrows at this, including Sirius. "Okay," he began wonderingly, "I really want to meet the girl who managed to stop that bitch writing. She pretty much lives on gossip."

"I'm starting to quite like this Hermione," Evans said with a scary smile. "She sounds like a good friend for Harry."

"**But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."**

"Of course she did," Evans said, rolling her eyes. Eventually they were going to get stuck like that, Sirius was sure.

"**Which is what?" said Harry impatiently.**

"**Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?"**

"**Yeah," said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeter's stories about him in a hurry.**

"**Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something," said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly. **

Prongs and Evans scowled at the book. Sirius spent his anger more productively, thinking of ways Hermione could be blackmailing the older girl.

"**They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like, 'tale worthy of Harry Potter'**

James interrupted by laughing. "I don't think any tale they could make up would be worthy of my kid," he said through his laughter. Evans gave him a very disapproving look, but he didn't notice.

**, and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's, 'lets hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next -"**

"**I don't want anyone to worship -" Harry began hotly.**

"**I know you don't," said Hermione quickly, looking frightened. "I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."**

"Or they're just jealous that they aren't as awesome as Harry _actually is_," James said.

"**I didn't ask - I didn't want - Voldemort killed my parents!" Harry spluttered. **

'And there goes any attempt at a good mood,' Sirius thought, watching the mood in the room plummet.

**"I got famous because he murdered my family but couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never -"**

James sighed. "Why can't he just be famous for all the awesome heroic stuff he did at school?" he asked the book.

"**We know, Harry," said Ginny earnestly.**

"**And of course, they didn't report a word about the Dementors attacking you," said Hermione.**

"**Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control Dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy. We thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off. We think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town - I mean, if you're expelled, obviously," she went on hastily. "You really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."**

"They had better not expel my son for some stupid power play," Evans said. Sirius felt a bit afraid for the ministry, from the chill radiating from the redhead.

**They were back on the hearing and Harry did not want to think about that. He cast around for another change of subject, but was saved the necessity of finding one by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Fred gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.**

"**The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now. Everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?"**

"**Crookshanks," said Ginny unblushingly. "He loves playing with them."**

"I like this girl," Sirius said with a grin. "She sounds like she's got spunk." As he expected, his comment effectively distracted most of the room from their previous thoughts.

Remus actually stopped reading to respond to that comment, saying, "Pads, are you really going to start crushing on a girl from the future again? This one isn't even born yet!"

Sirius just grinned at him. "At least this time I know she's not related to me."

"**Oh," said Mrs. Weasley, "I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that.**

**Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please."**

"Hah! And even caught red-handed, she still gets away with it. Yeah, I think I have another crush." Sirius grinned at Evans disgusted face and Remus's sigh of disappointment.

**Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room, leaving Harry alone with Ron and Hermione. Both of them were watching him apprehensively, as though they feared he would start shouting again now that everyone else had gone. The sight of them looking so nervous made him feel slightly ashamed.**

"**Look…" he muttered, but Ron shook his head, and Hermione said quietly, "We knew you'd be angry, Harry, we really don't blame you, but you've got to understand, we did try to persuade Dumbledore -"**

"**Yeah, I know," said Harry shortly.**

**He cast around for a topic that didn't involve his headmaster, because the very thought of Dumbledore made Harry's insides burn with anger again.**

Of course, no good mood could last long in this book. Though Sirius had a lot of respect for his ridiculously intelligent and powerful headmaster, he had to say that Harry had some pretty good reasons for being upset with the man.

"**Who's Kreacher?" he asked.**

Everyone glanced towards Kreacher's corner at this, but the House Elf had drawn back and was refusing to look at anyone. Sirius could easily guess why, though he was still having trouble wrapping his head around how much the elf had changed since he last saw the Kreacher of his time period. The respect for Regulus was expected, but that the elf showed anyone else respect, especially Sirius and the muggleborn Evans, was entirely unexpected. From the elf's current discomfort, however, it would seem the change had not occurred by Harry's fifth year.

"**The house-elf who lives here," said Ron. "Nutter. Never met one like him."**

This got raised eyebrows from the most of the room, but Regulus spoke up. "Kreacher is not a nutter!" Regulus turned towards where the elf was hiding. "You're a _good_ house elf, Kreacher, no matter what those jerks said about you." Kreacher perked up a bit, but still seemed nervous.

**Hermione frowned at Ron.** "**He's not a nutter, Ron."**

"**His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque just like his mother," said Ron irritably. "Is that normal, Hermione?"**

Regulus growled.

Kreacher actually spoke. "Kreacher just wants to be a good house elf to the Black family and make his Master Regulus proud," the elf stated defiantly.

Evans, of course, was completely swayed by this declaration.

"**Well - well, if he is a bit strange, it's not his fault."**

**Ron rolled his eyes at Harry.**

"**Hermione still hasn't given up on SPEW -"**

"**It's not SPEW!" said Hermione heatedly. "It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. And it's not just me, Dumbledore says we should be kind to Kreacher too."**

James's eyebrows raised practically into his hair. "Did she create some kind of house elf protection group?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I think it would be wonderful if she did," Evans said, raising her own eyebrows at Prongs. "From everything I've heard, house elves are basically slaves. Maybe they should have some people interested in their welfare."

"My family has house elves," James responded indignantly. "They're pretty happy with their lives, and we treat them well."

Before a full scale argument could break out, Remus resumed reading. Still, from the looks Evans was giving James, Sirius would take bets that this conversation wasn't over.

"**Yeah, yeah," said Ron. "C'mon, I'm starving."**

**He led the way out of the door and on to the landing, but before they could descend the stairs -**

"**Hold it!" Ron breathed, flinging out an arm to stop Harry and Hermione walking any further.**

"**They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something."**

Everyone leaned towards Remus, hoping that they were finally about to get some real information.

**The three of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The gloomy hallway below was packed with witches and wizards, including all of Harry's guard. They were whispering excitedly together. In the very center of the group Harry saw the dark, greasy-haired head and prominent nose of his least favorite teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Snape. **

Evans leveled a disapproving look at Snape (it was still weird to think he was on their side) at this, mouthing, 'least favorite?'

**Harry leaned further over the banisters. He was very interested in what Snape was doing for the Order of the Phoenix…**

As was Sirius.

**A thin piece of flesh-colored string descended in front of Harry's eyes. Looking up, he saw Fred and George on the landing above, cautiously lowering the Extendable Ear towards the dark knot of people below. A moment later, however, they all began to move towards the front door and out of sight.**

Everyone sighed in frustration and leaned back.

"**Damnit," Harry heard Fred whisper, as he hoisted t he Extendable Ear back up again.**

**They heard the front door open, then close.**

"**Snape never eats here," Ron told Harry quietly. "Thank God. C'mon."**

Sirius was grateful for this at least. He couldn't image eating dinner with Snape, whether or not he was on their side. Remembering Dumbledore's earlier warning, however, neither he nor anyone else said anything about the comment.

"**And don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry," Hermione whispered.**

**As they passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall, they saw Lupin, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.**

"**We're eating down in the kitchen," Mrs. Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. "Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here -"**

**CRASH.**

"**Tonks!" cried Mrs. Weasley in exasperation, turning to look behind her.**

"**I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks, who was lying flat on the floor.**

Several people laughed at this. "Mate, you have one seriously klutzy cousin," Prongs said.

Sirius beamed in pride for his cousin. His stupid family's house needed a bit of chaos, and this chapter needed a bit fun.

**"It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over -"**

**But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, ear-splitting, blood-curdling screech. **

Everyone tensed in fear.

**The moth-eaten velvet curtains Harry had passed earlier had flown apart, but there was no door behind them. For a split second, Harry thought he was looking through a window, a window behind which an old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she were being tortured - then he realized it was simply a life-size portrait, but the most realistic, and the most unpleasant, he had ever seen in his life.**

**The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched taut as she screamed; and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits awoke and began to yell, too, so that Harry actually screwed up his eyes at the noise and clapped his hands over his ears. **

Sirius's eyes widened in horror. So much for his parents no longer being there to scream at him. If this was what he thought it was, then his mother had actually gone through with permanently sticking her portrait to the front hallway wall so that she would always be there to remind him what a horrible disappointment of a son he was, even if by some miracle everyone else in the family died and he inherited the house. He hadn't actually thought she would go through with the threat.

**Lupin and Mrs. Weasley darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.**

"**Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers -"**

"Wow," Evans said, looking shocked. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, Sirius, but your mum sounds awful."

Sirius snorted. "Trust me Evans, awful is an understatement."

Regulus looked like he desperately wanted to comment, but Remus had continued reading, and Dumbledore's threat still hung over the room.

**Tonks apologized over and over again, dragging the huge, heavy troll's leg back off the floor; Mrs. Weasley abandoned the attempt to close the curtains and hurried up and down the hall, stunning all the other portraits with her wand; and a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry.**

"**Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain Mrs. Weasley had abandoned.**

Well, Sirius thought, it seemed he had finally entered the story.

**The old woman's face blanched.**

"**Yoooou!" she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man. **

**"Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"**

At this point, most of the room seemed to realize who the long-haired man probably was, as Sirius started getting a lot of sideways glances.

"**I said - shut - UP!" roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again.**

**The old woman's screeches died and an echoing silence fell. Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather Sirius turned to face him.**

"Hooray! I'm finally there!" Sirius shouted.

"Thank Merlin," James said, grinning. "Maybe now Harry can get some real information from you, mate."

"**Hello, Harry," he said grimly, "I see you've met my mother."**

Remus dropped the book with a thump. "That's the end of the chapter." He looked very pleased to be finished with the thing.

Before anyone could volunteer to read next, however, Dumbledore stood, immediately commanding the attention of the room. "This seems like an excellent place to pause a bit for food. Time is stopped outside this room while we read, so we will not be missed by our peers, but we still need food and rest to sustain ourselves." He turned to Kreacher. "I understand that you can get real food in this room?" he asked.

Kreacher nodded and snapped his fingers. A table with food appeared in the center of the room, and Dumbledore beamed. "Excellent. Let us eat, and then I shall disappear for a bit and you can discuss the book amongst yourselves. I do believe Kreacher is capable of stopping any magic that might inhibit discussion."

After exchanging glances with James and Remus, Sirius shrugged and moved towards the food. He was pretty hungry.


	7. Interlude with Lily

Dumbledore, it turned out, ate very quickly. The marauders had barely reached the table before their aging headmaster had whisked some food off the table and exited through a door that appeared in the wall opposite the door through which everyone had entered. Lily noticed that he motioned Kreacher through the door as well, no doubt to attempt to pry out more secrets about the future. She wondered if he would get any more from the elf than the rest of the group had.

For several long moments after Dumbledore's disappearance, the room remained silent, aside from the sounds of several people piling food onto plates and eating. Lily, used to years of studying in the Gryffindor common room, where any comfy chair left unprotected for a moment was liable to be stolen shamelessly from its previous occupant, merely summoned some rolls, cheese, and sliced ham over to where she sat on the invisible dividing line between Slytherin and Gryffindor. With a smirk at the impressed look James sent her way, she set about making sandwiches out of her food. She steadfastly ignored Sirius's muffled, "Show-off." She had no idea how he always attracted girls when he didn't even have enough manners to swallow his food before insulting people.

Of course, it wasn't long before someone interrupted her peace. Taking advantage of the marauders' momentary distraction by the food, Severus approached her chair. She stared at him expectantly, placing her food on a conjured napkin on the little table that had appeared next to her chair.

"Lily," he began quietly, before glancing over to the marauders, who appeared to be deep in their own discussion by the food. Lily coughed to regain his attention. "I know what I said at the end of fifth year was inexcusable, but look! I'm clearly on your side in the book, and I would never have wanted you to die." Lily continued to stare at Severus as his voice began to trail off. He visibly steeled himself before continuing in a stronger voice. "I just don't see why we can't be friends! I made one mistake, and our years of friendship are gone."

Lily's stare had morphed into a glare over the course of Severus's speech. "Sev," she said, keeping her own voice down to avoid a scene, "this is why we stopped being friends." Severus's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, but she kept talking. "You actually believe that the only reason I broke off our friendship was because you called me a mudblood once! Well, I'm not that self-absorbed, Sev! You didn't just call me a mudblood; you'd been using that word all year with your friends. The people you called your friends are rude, crass, and sometimes downright evil, and you were becoming more and more like them for ages before I stopped being your friend! You say you never wanted me to die, but you were friends with people who wanted to join a man who would have happily killed me and everyone like me! A man who, in the future, _will_ kill me just because of my blood."

Pain crossed Sev's face, and Lily felt momentarily guilty for yelling. Of course, Severus was quick to dispel the emotion. "The Dark Lord is smart, Lily," he began, cutting her off when she tried to respond in rage. "He would probably love to have someone as brilliant as you on his side, regardless of your blood. Besides, you can't tell me your side is that much better than mine when it's supported by disgusting bullies like _them_." Severus pointed viciously in the direction of the marauders.

Lily shook her head and dropped her eyes. Sev was not exactly being irrational in his hatred James and his friends. Sure, James had been getting better, growing up into a decent man, and Lily had even accepted a date with him for the next Hogsmeade weekend. Still, she could not expect Sev to get over the years of bullying and torment he had faced at James and Sirius's hands just because she had forgiven them.

"I thought you'd be impressed if I joined him." 

The soft voice broke through her thoughts, and Lily looked up at Severus in astonishment. "How in Merlin's name could you think a thing like that?" she asked. Severus was still staring at the marauders as he answered.

"At least I would be making something of myself. I'm great at school work, Lily, but it's not like I have much else going for me. You know what my home life is like." Sev's voice sunk to a breathless, hateful whisper; he usually avoided talking about his family. "Well, after my mum died last summer, I've been supporting myself. There's no way that drunken _muggle_," he was still looking away, but Lily flinched at the sneer in his voice on the word 'muggle,' "who calls himself my father would be capable of taking care of me in his state, even if he wanted to. My friends, though, they've been helping me. The Dark Lord would help me even more. I'd never have to worry about money or stupid, drunken fathers again, with him on my side."

Pale hands clenched and unclenched in ill-fitted black robes as Severus alternated between glaring at the marauders and staring determinedly at the wall over Lily's shoulder. Lily, for her part, felt awful. Sure, she had heard from her own mum when Sev's mother died, and had felt some sympathy for her old friend, but never once had she attempted to comfort him or help him. Still, how could he think that chaining himself in servitude to an even bigger bully than any he had encountered in school was the way to solve his problems? Besides, he clearly did not know her at all, if he thought she would be _impressed_ by his foolishness.

The two ex-friends remained in silence for nearly a minute, both lost in their own angry, stubborn thoughts, before a crash by the food redirected their attention.

Sirius had swept a dish off the table, on accident it appeared, and now he and his brother were engaged in a shouting match with their wands out. James had his own wand out and pointed at the younger Black brother as backup for Sirius. Off to the side stood Remus, glancing between his friends and their target, but unwilling to say anything to calm anyone down, as usual. Lily huffed and put aside her still uneaten food. Of course, just when she was going to defend James, he and his idiot friend had to go off and start a fight. She stood up, swept past Severus, and barged over to the small, tense group.

"Our mother was _not_ a filthy whore _or _a screechy bitch!" Regulus was shouting. "You take that back! She loved us both, and she's only cruel to you because you hurt her!" He jabbed his wand towards his brother, but Sirius only laughed darkly.

"I doubt our _mother,_" he said, nearly spitting the word, "even knows the meaning of the word love. She's a horrible person who just wants trophies for children, pawns to increase her own status in her stupid, delusional, pureblood supremacist world."

Severus had approached the group behind Lily, and now he spat out, "Oh, like _you _know what it means to be a _good_ person, Black."

"Stay out of this, Snivellus!" Sirius yelled, aiming a curse at Sev. Since Lily was still standing between the two boys, only her quick wand work and excellent shield charm prevented her from getting a curse to the face. She reflected briefly that this would probably not have gotten so out of hand if Kreacher were still in the room.

"How dare you-" Severus began, but Lily cut him off with a raised hand.

"I can speak for myself, thanks, Sev," she said, glaring at both of the Black brothers. She was pleased to note that Sirius looked somewhat abashed at nearly cursing her. "Congratulations," she said to the two boys. "Your family feud nearly got someone seriously hurt! Don't think I didn't recognize that spell, and what it was meant to do!"

"Aw, come on Lily, you know he wasn't aiming for you," James said.

Lily glared at him. "I don't believe I was talking to you, James Potter. And anyway, have you forgotten that I _don't_ like it when you curse Severus, either?" She turned back to the Black brothers, leaving James shifting guiltily and stowing his wand back in his robes.

"Whatever grievances you have with your family, you _don't_ need to be airing them in front of everyone like this, especially not when there are wands involved! As Head Girl, I ought to take points off both your Houses!"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but put his wand away. He glanced at James, who was still guiltily avoiding Lily's glares. "Whatever, Evans," he muttered. He turned back to his brother. "I'll let my future self speak for me about our parents from now on, if you agree to stop yelling at me for what my future self says. Deal?"

It took Regulus several tense, silent moments, before he jerked his head in a nod. "Deal," he said, putting his own wand away.

Lily sniffed. "You know," she said to everyone, "if more people were willing to talk about their disagreements instead of resorting to violence, we'd have a lot fewer wars in the world." She turned around and stalked back to her armchair, where she picked up one of her little sandwiches and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. No doubt the boys were still set on being idiots in the future, but for now she was done talking to all of them. If they all wanted to spend their break talking about childhood grudges and family issues that apparently weren't an issue in the future, then that was their problem. She was going to wait for the rest of the story, and then figure out a way to save her future child (though it was still strange, thinking of her future self as a mother).

A few minutes later, after much fruitless stewing on Lily's part, she felt someone sit down beside her, as the chair she was on enlarged to fit both of them. She spared a thought to wonder just how the magic of the Room worked, before turning to find James Potter staring at his hands in his lap.

"You shouldn't be too angry with Sirius," he said softly. Lily frowned, but he hurried on. "He doesn't like to talk about it, but his home life has never been very good. Last summer, he even ran away because his family was threatening him; they wanted him to support the pureblood cause, and he wouldn't. When he got to my place, he hadn't eaten in two days and was a mess. He wouldn't say, but I think his mum had been cursing him, maybe even with the Cruciatus Curse." Lily's hands flew to her mouth, and she glanced at where Sirius was sitting with Remus, laughing at some joke he had just told and ignoring the Slytherins' side of the room entirely. James was still speaking, and his voice drew her eyes back to him. "He puts up a good front, at school, but being back in his old home… well, it would be like being in Azkaban, for him." James snorted and backtracked; Lily assumed he had just remembered that the future Sirius had in fact been in the real Azkaban. "Well, maybe not quite as bad as Azkaban," James said with a wry, sad smile. "I'm sure he'd take his old place where he can see other people all the time instead of Dementors over a real prison, but it would still be awful. Having his brother here, defending his mum, isn't really helping his mood, either."

Lily looked over at Sirius again. It was difficult to imagine Sirius Black, notorious heartbreaker of Hogwarts and one of the smartest boys in their year, being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse by his own mother. Pretty much everyone at Hogwarts knew that Sirius had left home and lived with the Potters the previous summer, but most people, Lily included, had assumed it was just a part of his bad boy persona. Of course Sirius, who took every opportunity to cheek authority figures and bend rules to his liking, would have needed to do something as dramatic as run away from home at least once before he was too old. She wondered now how much she knew about the big, dark Gryffindor was real, and how much was just a mask he wore to keep curious, prying eyes away from the private parts of his life.

As though sensing her gaze, Sirius glanced over at James and Lily's chair-turned-loveseat. "Oi, Prongs," he said in a carrying voice. "Are you going to sit with your girlfriend for the rest of the day, or are you going to hang out with your best mate?" His grin was mocking, and Lily felt a brief rush of annoyance. The annoyance subsided, however, and she realized that his grin appeared remarkably fragile. He must have seen something of her thoughts in her eyes, because his grin slipped and he looked away from her.

Next to her, James had answered Sirius in an equally playful tone. He stood up to join his friends across the room, but before he left, he finally met Lily's eyes and said, in a quiet, serious tone, "Just, think about what I said, alright?" Then he was gone across the room.

Dumbledore chose that moment to reenter the room, Kreacher slinking along behind him.

"Well," the Headmaster said, clapping his hands together. "Is everyone suitably refreshed?" Upon receiving various affirmations from around the room, he picked up the book from where it had been left upon a table and asked, "Who would like to read the next chapter?"

Lily raised her hand. "I wouldn't mind reading again, Professor," she said. Sirius snickered, and she shot him a dirty look.

Dumbledore beamed at her, but said, "If anyone who has not yet read would like a chance, perhaps we should allow them to speak first."

Of course, she should have known that Sirius would take this opportunity to volunteer. He may have had a harder childhood than she realized, but that didn't mean he wasn't still a jerk. She glanced at Severus with this thought. He had experienced misery and pain of his own throughout his childhood, and Sirius never bothered to learn about that before hexing the Slytherin. Neither boy had cared about what made the other who they were. They just hated each other and hexed each other without ever trying to learn. As Sirius began to read the next chapter, Lily came to a decision. Somehow or another, she would get those boys to see each other for who they really were and become friends.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** So, apparently I am an awful updater. My life has been pretty busy these past few years, and this story was not a priority. Moving across the country twice and starting grad school can push hobbies to the backburner. I haven't given up on it, though, so for those of you still reading/newly finding this, I still have plans to finish someday.

* * *

**The Order of The Phoenix**

Everyone perked up. Maybe with a chapter title like that, they would finally get some answers.

**"Your -?"**

**"My dear old mum, yeah," said Sirius.**

Sirius sneered, but kept his promise to his brother.

"**We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again."**

"She put permanent sticking charms on all the important portraits after you ran away and she couldn't take down your muggle pictures," Regulus said. "So really, you have yourself to thank for that."

Sirius very determinedly kept reading.

**"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered, as they went through the door from the hall and led the way down a flight of narrow stone steps, the others just behind them.**

"Being obnoxious, is what it sounds like," Sirius muttered, low enough that Lily only barely heard him.

**"Hasn't anyone told you? This was my parents' house," said Sirius. "But I'm the last Black left, **

Sirius paused, and everyone looked at Regulus, who had gone pale. "Well," he said, staring at his lap, "I guess that explains why I haven't shown up."

Sirius looked like he was about to say something, but after a moment of silence, he continued reading instead.

"**so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters - about the only useful thing I've been able to do."**

**Harry, who had expected a better welcome, noted how hard and bitter Sirius's voice sounded.**

Sirius grimaced. "You know," he said, "reading about yourself is really weird."

Lily thought about making a snippy comment about how he had been the one to volunteer to read this chapter. In light of what they had just learned about his brother, however, she thought better of it.

**He followed his godfather to the bottom of the steps and through a door leading into the basement kitchen.**

**It was scarcely less gloomy than the hall above, a cavernous room with rough stone walls. Most of the light was coming from a large fire at the far end of the room. A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air like battle fumes, through which loomed the menacing shapes of heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. Many chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of them, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags. Mr. Weasley and his eldest son Bill were talking quietly with their heads together at the end of the table.**

'I never thought a kitchen could sound so ominous,' Lily thought. She wished her kid had gone somewhere a bit more cheerful sounding.

**Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. Her husband, a thin, balding, red-haired man who wore horn-rimmed glasses, looked around and jumped to his feet.**

**"Harry!" Mr. Weasley said, hurrying forward to greet him, and shaking his hand vigorously. "Good to see you!"**

Lily and James both grinned at the greeting their son received. These Weasleys sounded like good people.

**Over his shoulder Harry saw Bill, who still wore his long hair in a ponytail, hastily rolling up the lengths of parchment left on the table.**

**"Journey all right, Harry?" Bill called, trying to gather up twelve scrolls at once. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?"**

**"He tried," said Tonks, striding over to help Bill and immediately toppling a candle on to the last piece of parchment. "Oh no - sorry –**

Sirius sniggered, but quickly kept reading at an annoyed glare from Lily.

**"Here, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, sounding exasperated, and she repaired the parchment with a wave of her wand. In the flash of light caused by Mrs. Weasley's charm Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a building.**

"Finally!" James said. "Now let's hear all the plans!"

Severus sneered at him. "He saw a building plan, Potter. That's hardly going to tell them anything useful."

James sneered back, and Lily sent a silent stinging hex at him before he could reply. She was only a little bit disappointed when Kreacher deflected it before it could reach its target. Regardless, it got James's attention.

"You really should all stop being such absolute prats to each other," she said. "You're all a lot more alike than you know, you know." Sirius snorted at her word choice, and she ignored him. She was pretty sure Dumbledore approved of her words, from the way his eyes twinkled.

**Mrs. Weasley had seen him looking. **

**She snatched the plan off the table and stuffed it into Bill's already overladen arms.**

"Lame!" Sirius and James shouted at the same time.

**"This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings," she snapped, **

"Or you could leave them out and tell Harry all the plans," James said, grinning hopefully at the book. Remus cuffed him (far too gently, in Lily's opinion), and told him to stop interrupting.

**before sweeping off towards an ancient dresser from which she started unloading dinner plates.**

**Bill took out his wand, muttered, "Evanesco!" and the scrolls vanished.**

**"Sit down, Harry," said Sirius. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"**

"Oh yeah, Harry's met Mundungus," Sirius growled. James scowled at the book as he continued reading, and Lily scowled with him. That slimy thief was the reason her future son had been left alone to be attacked by Dementors.

**The thing Harry had taken to be a pile of rags gave a prolonged, grunting snore, then jerked awake.**

**'Some'n say m'name?' Mundungus mumbled sleepily. "I 'gree with Sirius…" He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused.**

**Ginny giggled. **

"At least he's got some sense," Sirius said with a shaky grin.

Severus snorted. "I would hardly call agreeing with _you _'sense.'"

Before either Sirius or James could respond, Lily stepped in with a disdainful look at both of them. "In this case, I'm afraid I have to agree with Sev. Sometimes, Sirius, I find myself thinking that the only reason you weren't put in Slytherin like the rest of your family is because you've got the self-preservation instincts of a flobberworm."

She smirked at the dumbfounded look that Sirius gave her. It was even more amusing when James chimed in to say, "You have to admit she's got a point, mate."

Sirius mock glared at his friend, before muttering, "Fine, I see how it is. At least I know _someone_ will appreciate me in the future."

**"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. "Harry's arrived."**

**"Eh?" said Mundungus, peering balefully at Harry through his matted ginger hair. "Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah… you all right, 'Arry?"**

**"Yeah," said Harry.**

"Yeah, no thanks to _you_." Sirius and James were back to glaring at the book.

**Mundungus fumbled nervously in his pockets, still staring at Harry, and pulled out a grimy black pipe. He stuck it in his mouth, ignited the end of it with his wand and took a deep pull on it. Great billowing clouds of greenish smoke obscured him within seconds.**

"That is _disgusting_," Regulus said, wrinkling his nose.

"What?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows at his brother. "Dad smokes."

"Father smokes _classy_ cigars in his _study_," Regulus replied, haughty disdain evident in his voice.

Lily privately had to agree with Sirius's brother. Smoking in a closed off room that only you frequented was one thing, but Mundungus was in a kitchen full of children. However, in hopes of finishing the book sometime before she died, Lily thought it would probably be more prudent to head off an argument. In that vein, she leveled a glare at both Black brothers, saying, "You both have awful points. Now can we please get back to the book?"

"You interrupt just as often as the rest of us you know," Sirius shot back. At a wounded look from James, however, he grudgingly returned to reading.

**"Owe you a 'pology," grunted a voice from the middle of the smelly cloud.**

**"For the last time, Mundungus," called Mrs. Weasley, "will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!"**

Regulus smirked. Lily added, "Regulus and Mrs. Weasley would probably get along," to her list of reasons why Gryffindors and Slytherins should really put aside their house differences and try being friends.

**"Ah," said Mundungus. "Right. Sorry, Molly."**

**The cloud of smoke vanished as Mundungus stowed his pipe back in his pocket, but an acrid smell of burning socks lingered.**

**"And if you want dinner before midnight I'll need a hand," Mrs. Weasley said to the room at large. "No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey."**

Lily smiled. It was still odd to think of Harry as her child, and the thought of not being there made the oddness both stronger and more painful. However, she was glad that Mrs. Weasley seemed to care so much for this child who was not yet born, but was already making a place for himself in her heart.

**"What can I do, Molly?" said Tonks enthusiastically, bounding forwards.**

**Mrs. Weasley hesitated, looking apprehensive.**

**"Er - no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today."**

Sirius sniggered, and Regulus rolled his eyes.

**"No, no, I want to help!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair as she hurried towards the dresser, from which Ginny was collecting cutlery.**

**Soon, a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Mr. Weasley, while Mrs. Weasley stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire and the others took out plates, more goblets and food from the pantry. Harry was left at the table with Sirius and Mundungus, who was still blinking at him mournfully.**

**"Seen old Figgy since?" he asked.**

**"No," said Harry, "I haven't seen anyone."**

**"See, I wouldn't 'ave left," said Mundungus, leaning forward, a pleading note in his voice, "but I 'ad a business opportunity -"**

Multiple snorts and growls could be heard around the room, and Lily rolled her eyes. The man seemed nothing but gross and untrustworthy, and she had to wonder why he was even allowed in a group that needed secrecy and loyalty as much as the Order did.

**Harry felt something brush against his knees and started, but it was only Crookshanks, Hermione's bandy-legged ginger cat, who wound himself once around Harry's legs, purring, then jumped on to Sirius's lap and curled up. Sirius scratched him absent-mindedly behind the ears as he turned, still grim-faced, to Harry.**

**"Had a good summer so far?"**

**"No, it's been lousy," said Harry.**

"Now there's an understatement," James said, shifting closer to Sirius to peer over his shoulder.

**For the first time, something like a grin flitted across Sirius's face.**

**"Don't know what you're complaining about, myself."**

James punched Sirius in the shoulder, a gesture that Lily wholeheartedly agreed with.

Sirius's voice dropped as he continued reading.

**"What?" said Harry incredulously.**

**"Personally, I'd have welcomed a Dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights… I've been stuck inside for a month."**

"Really, Sirius?" Lily shouted. "You are really going to say that it's _exciting_ that my son got attacked by Dementors and nearly lost his soul?" She glared at the boy in question, who shifted guiltily.

**"How come?" asked Harry, frowning.**

**"Because the Ministry of Magic's still after me, and Voldemort will know all about me -**

Sirius stopped reading and turned white. James, who was still reading over his friend's shoulder, choked.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

Sirius and, more shockingly, James ignored her. "He would never betray you," James was saying. Sirius shook his head.

"We're such idiots," he said, glaring at the book. "He's a _rat_, for Merlin's sake. It doesn't get much more obvious than that." That comment was certainly confusing as all hell.

Remus moved leaned over his friends' shoulders to see the book for himself, and blanched. "Maybe it was torture? We can't jump to conclusions," he said, looking between James and Sirius.

At this point, Lily was getting fed up. She didn't notice the sad look on Dumbledore's face as he watched the group of Gryffindors speak amongst each other. "Could one of you please enlighten the rest of us as to what's going on, or are you just going to sit around speaking in code all day?" She glared at the boys. Finally, James answered her.

"It's Peter," James said, looking dazed. "He sold Voldemort information on Sirius."

"Well, well," Regulus said, sneering. "It seems your Gryffindor friendships aren't as golden as you thought, brother." Next to him, Severus laughed cruelly.

"So much for Gryffindors always being pure and innocent," he said.

Sirius snarled at his brother and Severus, but James leapt to the defense of his friend. "For all we know, Peter was imperiused! Maybe he just didn't know what he was doing. The book doesn't really make it clear."

Finally, Dumbledore entered the conversation. "I'm afraid, Mr. Potter, that your friend will indeed become a traitor," he said, looking grave. "Kreacher spoke with me about several matters before the reading began, and I am sorry to have to tell you that Peter sold information to Voldemort of his own free will."

Sirius's grip on the book had turned his knuckles white. "Fine. I'll keep reading, and when we get out of here, I'll tear his head off." James punched him in the shoulder. After several moments of awkward silence and glaring on the part of Sirius, he returned to reading.

**There's not much I can do for the Order of the Phoenix… or so Dumbledore feels."**

**There was something about the slightly flattened tone of voice in which Sirius uttered Dumbledore's name that told Harry that Sirius, too, was not very happy with the Headmaster.**

"You're a fugitive in the future, Black," Lily said, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "I hardly think Dumbledore wants you keeping a low profile just to annoy you."

"Oh shut up, Evans," Sirius replied, getting hit again by James. They both glared at each other before Sirius returned to reading in a clipped voice.

**Harry felt a sudden upsurge of affection for his godfather.**

It was a mark of how shaken Sirius was that he made no comment at this.

**"At least you've known what's been going on," he said bracingly.**

"At least one version of me does," Sirius said through clenched teeth.

**"Oh yeah," said Sirius sarcastically. "Listening to Snape's reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time… asking me how the cleanings going -"**

Sirius's voice grew more and more angry as he read, till finally, he threw the book on the ground, saying, "This is stupid. Harry should have just written us letters and explained things outright, instead of making us read through this filth."

Lily glared at Severus, and he remained silent. She could not tell what he was thinking behind the scowl on his own face, but she hoped he was at least feeling a little bit bad for his future self's cruel words.

James picked up the book before anyone else could speak. "I can read for a bit." Lily sent him a soft smile, hoping to convey how sorry she was for the news he and his friends had just received. For all that she had hated the group for most of her time at Hogwarts, and still was not fond of half the group, she could still admit that they had a rare friendship, treating each other more like brothers than simply like friends. Peter's betrayal reminded her of her own destroyed relationship with Petunia.

**"What cleaning?" Asked Harry.**

**"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation," said Sirius, waving a hand around the dismal kitchen. "No one's lived here for ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist - hasn't cleaned anything in ages."**

"Wait," Sirius said, perking up. "How old am I in this?"

"Are you trying to figure out how soon our mother is going to _die_?" Regulus asked, scowling across the room.

"Hey, I need something cheerful to think about after the rest of this trainwreck," Sirius said. Regulus bared his teeth at his brother, but before anything could get too out of hand, Dumbledore stepped in as he had not in some time.

"You are, I believe, thirty-five at this point in the future, which means that your mother will die in about nine years." He turned to Regulus, and there was no twinkle in his eyes as he said, "I am sorry that you will lose your mother so young. It is an unfortunate truth that most children must outlive their parents, but to lose them young is cruel on the part of fate."

Regulus ducked his head away, and for once Sirius held his tongue on the snarky comments that Lily could see clearly written across his face. She found herself thinking of how Severus would react to the death of his father, and once more wishing that Sirius and Severus could have been friends instead of enemies.

**"Sirius," said Mundungus, who did not appear to have paid any attention to the conversation, but had been closely examining an empty goblet. "This solid silver, mate?"**

**"Yes," said Sirius, surveying it with distaste. "Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."**

**"That'd come off, though," muttered Mundungus, polishing it with his cuff.**

"That thief!" Regulus said, the words hissing through his clenched teeth. "You're going to let him rob our family blind, aren't you?"

"I don't really care if everything in that bloody house gets stolen," Sirius retorted. "Besides, it's not like any of the rest of you will be around to appreciate it."

Regulus's jaw tightened further, but he seemed unable to respond. After a moment of tense silence, James continued reading.

**"Fred - George - NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.**

**Harry, Sirius and Mundungus looked round and, a split second later, they had dived away from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.**

"Those twins are horribly irresponsible," Remus said. James and Sirius, of course, were laughing, but Lily heard. She rolled her eyes quietly, easily remembering all the times that Remus had failed to do anything about his own irresponsible friends.

**"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley. "THERE WAS NO NEED - I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS - JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"**

**"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward to wrench the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius, mate - didn't mean to -"**

**Harry and Sirius were both laughing; Mundungus, who had toppled backwards off his chair, was swearing as he got to his feet; Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from where his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.**

**"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age -"**

**"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of Butterbeer on to the table, and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy -"**

**She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.**

The smiles that James and Sirius had briefly worn slipped away at this. Lilysighed, thinking of her own sister. She wished that James and Severus could both be sitting next to her, but wondered if there really was any hope at all that the Gryffindor boys and her one time best friend could ever see eye-to-eye, regardless of their similarities.

**"Let's eat," said Bill quickly.**

**"It looks wonderful, Molly," said Lupin, ladling stew on to a plate for her and handing it across the table.**

"Ah, Remus, ever the diplomat," Sirius said, glancing over at the calmest marauder.

"Failed diplomat, more like," Severus muttered, low enough that only Lily and Regulus heard.

**For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius.**

**"I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a Boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."**

**"Whatever you like," said Sirius indifferently.**

**"The curtains in there are full of Doxys, too," Mrs. Weasley went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."**

**"I look forward to it," said Sirius. Harry heard the sarcasm in his voice, but he was not sure that anyone else did.**

"Hmph. I'm sure I noticed," Remus said. "Sirius is not as subtle as he likes to think he is." He grinned fondly at Sirius, who mock-glared at him.

"I'm also pretty sure you know me well enough to know that I'd never seriously be looking forward to cleaning dark magic pests out of my beloved old family home," he said. Lily snorted quietly. She would be hard pressed to imagine anyone looking forward to the tasks outlined in the book.

**Opposite Harry, Tonks was entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose between mouthfuls. Screwing up her eyes each time with the same pained expression she had worn back in Harry's bedroom, her nose swelled to a beak-like protuberance that resembled Snape's, shrank to the size of a button mushroom and then sprouted a great deal of hair from each nostril.**

"That is so cool," Sirius said, gazing at the book in James's hands. "Why is she so cool?" James ignored his friend.

**Apparently this was a regular mealtime entertainment, because Hermione and Ginny were soon requesting their favorite noses.**

**"Do that one like a pig snout, Tonks."**

**Tonks obliged, and Harry, looking up, had the fleeting impression that a female Dudley was grinning at him from across the table.**

"Oi!" Sirius shouted. "Godson or no, you're not allowed to compare Dora to that pig of a cousin!" James and Remus, of course, were grinning at their friend's pain.

**Mr. Weasley, Bill and Lupin were having an intense discussion about goblins.**

"Ew, why would you talk about Goblins?" Sirius asked, glancing at his friend.

"Well, my guess is we're talking about whether or not they'll join You-Know-Who," Remus said.

Sirius snorted, leaning back against his seat. "Course they'll join His Darkness," Sirius said, raising an eyebrow at Remus. "Goblins hate us. Only work with any of us because we pay them, and let's face it: You-Know-Who has a lot of wealthy backers, and with the Ministry ignoring his return, it should be easy enough to buy the Goblin's loyalty."

Lily, a fairly avid student of history and a lover of anything non-human, threw a pillow at Sirius. "You do realize that just because Goblins deal with money as a way of gaining financial leverage over those who consistently oppress and murder them, that doesn't mean they can just be bought right and left by whoever is richest? If you actually paid attention in history, you'd know that they'll probably just stay out of the war, as they're doing right now. Goblins only fight to protect themselves. They have no reason to help us out, but I'd bet anything they're smart enough not to go with V-Voldemort either." She was proud of the way her voice barely shook on Voldemort's name, but she was more proud of the taken aback look on Sirius's face.

"Well put, Ms. Evans," Professor Dumbledore said. "However, I think we should return to the story."

**"They're not giving anything away yet," said Bill. "I still can't work out whether or not they believe he's back. Course, they might prefer not to take sides at all. Keep out of it."**

Lily raised an eyebrow at Sirius, who, ever mature, stuck his tongue out at her. James kept reading.

**"I'm sure they'd never go over to You-Know-Who," said Mr. Weasley, shaking his head.**

**"They've suffered losses too; remember that goblin family he murdered last time, somewhere near Nottingham?"**

"Actually he's murdered a few Goblin families," Lily said.

"Indeed he has," Professor Dumbledore said, his eyes uncharacteristically dim. "It would be good for all of you to remember that Voldemort does not discriminate against enemies and those who merely inconvenience him when it comes to dealing out death. He would as soon turn on innocents as opponents, and even those who serve him are not always immune from harm at his hands."

Severus and Regulus both shifted uncomfortably. After a moment of tense silence, James continued to read.

**"I think it depends what they're offered," said Lupin. "And I'm not talking about gold. If they're offered the freedoms we've been denying them for centuries they're going to be tempted. Have you still not had any luck with Ragnok, Bill?"**

**"He's feeling pretty anti-wizard at the moment," said Bill, "he hasn't stopped raging about the Bagman business, he reckons the Ministry did a cover-up, those goblins never got their gold from him, you know -"**

"Ouch, now that's a good way to piss off a Goblin," Remus said, wincing.

**A gale of laughter from the middle of the table drowned the rest of Bill's words. Fred, George, Ron and Mundungus were rolling around in their seats.**

**"… and then," choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'e says, 'Ere, Dung, where did ya get all them toads from? 'Cos some son of a Bludger's gone and nicked all mine!' And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me, lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for a lot more'n what 'e paid in the first place -"**

**"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as Ron slumped forwards on to the table, howling with laughter.**

Sirius had started laughing as well, up until his brother spoke up. "You do realize you're laughing at a Slytherin who stole a man's property and then sold it back to him, right? And here I thought Gryffindor was supposed to be a house of honor and pure shiny goodness."

Sirius closed his mouth with a snap and glared at his brother. Lily, on the other hand, decide to seize the moment.

"Actually, Gryffindors can be quite nasty when they put their minds to it," she said. James looked over at her in betrayal, and Regulus turned to her in surprise. "What?" she said to both of them. "It's true. Valuing bravery is hardly the same thing as valuing a pure heart. In all honesty, I'd say Hufflepuff sounds like the nicest house, since their philosophy is the only one that's about accepting everyone, but then again accepting everyone means even they're bound to get some prats. Slytherin and Gryffindor, on the other hand, are far more alike than anyone gives them credit for. Slytherins like to get their way by being clever and underhanded, and Gryffindors like to get their way by being bold and risky and frankly a bit stupid. Ultimately, though, we both tend towards arrogance and a strong dislike for failure. We're also both stupidly hard-headed. How else would you explain sticking to a thousand year old grudge with more force than a Permanent Sticking Charm?"

She sat back in her chair while the rest of the room processed her words. Judging by the disdainful curl to his lip, she guessed that Sirius was simply finding ways to dismiss and ignore her words. James and Regulus, however, appeared to actually be contemplating her words, and when James went back to reading, it was with a new wrinkle over his brow.

**"Beg pardon, Molly," said Mundungus at once, wiping his eyes and winking at Harry. "But, you know, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong."**

"At least I have a better idea of right and wrong than that," Sirius said. To everyone's surprise, it was James who punched him in the shoulder and replied.

"You've definitely had your moments of questionable morality, mate," he said. Before Sirius could reply, James went back to reading in a louder voice, leaving Sirius to stare at him in mild betrayal.

**"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, Mundungus, but you seem to have missed a few crucial lessons," said Mrs. Weasley coldly.**

**Fred and George buried their faces in their goblets of Butterbeer; George was hiccoughing. For some reason, Mrs. Weasley threw a very nasty look at Sirius before getting to her feet and going to fetch a large rhubarb crumble for pudding. Harry looked round at his godfather.**

**"Molly doesn't approve of Mundungus," said Sirius in an undertone.**

Nobody approves of Mundungus, Lily thought to herself.

**"How come he's in the Order?" Harry said, very quietly.**

**"He's useful," Sirius muttered. "Knows all the crooks - well, he would, seeing as he's one himself. But he's also very loyal to Dumbledore, who helped him out of a tight spot once. It pays to have someone like Dung around, he hears things we don't. But Molly thinks inviting him to stay for dinner is going too far. She hasn't forgiven him for slipping off duty when he was supposed to be tailing you."**

"As she shouldn't," Lily and James said in unison. They blushed in unison as well, and Lily failed to see the unhappy glare Severus sent her. She did, however, notice Sirius pantomime puking.

**Three helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard later and the waistband on Harry's jeans was feeling uncomfortably tight (which was saying something as the jeans had once been Dudley's).**

Sirius whistled. "Now _that's_ impressive."

**As he laid down his spoon there was a lull in the general conversation: Mr. Weasley was leaning back in his chair, looking replete and relaxed; Tonks was yawning widely, her nose now back to normal; and Ginny who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling Butterbeer corks for him to chase.**

**"Nearly time for bed, I think," said Mrs. Weasley with a yawn.**

**"Not just yet, Molly" said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry.**

James sat up straighter and began to read more quickly.

**"You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."**

"Yes!" he cried, gripping Sirius in a one-armed hug. "I knew you'd come through mate! Now tell him everything!"

"If you can finally get Harry some answers, Sirius, I might just have to dump James and marry you instead," Lily said, grinning.

James yelped. "Oi! Or you could just be friends with him," he said indignantly, pushing away from Sirius.

"Thanks for the offer, Evans," Sirius said, "but I think I'll have to pass." He stuck out his tongue at her and grabbed the book from a still frowning James, saying, "I will read some more, though."

Even the Slytherins leaned forward as Sirius began to read. It looked like they were _finally_ about to learn what was going on in the future.

* * *

**AN:** And here is where I stop for this chapter, in the interest of getting this out before another year has passed. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and I will try my best not to take so long on the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Sorry to anyone who got excited at the notification, but this is not an update. This story has been flagged for violating copyright law, and while I do enjoy this type of story, and it makes me sad to do so, I have to admit the flaggers have a point.

My goal is to rewrite this story to remove actual quotes, and put it back up without any copyrighted material. That will take some time, though, so there may not be any new updates for a bit.


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